Are Chelsea the new Arsenal?

Former player turned Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has compared Chelsea to Arsenal following the Blues’ 6-0 defeat to Manchester City on the weekend.

The Blues put on an embarrassing display at the Etihad to suffer a huge defeat, meaning they remain in sixth place having slid from fourth over the weekend.

Following the defeat, Jamie Carragher said: "It's only halfway through Sarri's first season but the worst thing I can say is it looks like he has turned Chelsea into Arsenal.

"The Arsenal team that has got battered away from home in the last seven or eight years because they have been too weak. You couldn't say that about Chelsea in the past, but this looks like a weak team."

But does the former Liverpool defender’s argument stand up? Are Chelsea really the new Arsenal? We take a look below.

Table evidence would suggest Carragher’s comments are very hasty. Chelsea have finished outside the top four in two of the last seven.

The Blues finished fifth place last season, but let’s not forget the season before that they won the league title.Yes, they finished 10th in the season before that title-winning season, but another title-winning season preceded that.

Arsenal haven’t won the league since 2004. That tells us all we need to know.As for whether Chelsea will ‘do an Arsenal’ this season, so-to-speak, again, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Chelsea were a disaster in the 6-0 defeat to Manchester City and they have been a little poor in recent outings.

However, they are only one point outside the top four and you can expect them to bounce back from this latest humiliation.

Chelsea’s mindset is a little worrying. It’s been their downfall over recent years, and it goes a long way to explaining why they have been so poor in the season after their title wins.

The mindset in the changing room, the dynamic, even with recent changes, is way out of line, far from where it should be.

Chelsea have to do better, they must press the reset button and they have to ensure they go into next season with the right mentality, even if that means getting rid of Sarri for a manager whose personality better fits the club.

Seeing a change in managers would hardly be a surprise and there is already speculation this morning that the Italian has only been given two weeks to save his job.

Chelsea’s ambition is not in line with Arsenal’s and that’s with no disrespect to the Gunners. Roman Abramovich hasn’t been so heavily invested in recent years, but he has still spent considerably more than the Gunners.

He also demands much more from his managers that Arsenal have in recent years, proven by the Blues’ revolving wheel of bosses compared to Arsenal’s acceptance of below-par performance.

Chelsea may not quite have the same high standards as recent years, they may not be able to keep up with Manchester City financially.

However, as far as their fans and their ambitions go, they remain well ahead of Arsenal, and that’s part of the reason they have consistently finished above the Gunners since 2005.