Paul Merson Warns Arsenal Must Secure Four Points Against Spurs and Man City to Stay in Premier League Title Race
Paul Merson has delivered a strong message to Arsenal and Mikel Arteta ahead of the upcoming North London derby, emphasizing the importance of the next two matches if Arsenal hope to win the Premier League this season.
Merson believes Arsenal’s title chances could be severely impacted if they don’t secure a solid points haul in their next two games against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
The Gunners will face Spurs away this Sunday before playing Manchester City at the Etihad a week later.
To add to their challenges, Arsenal may be without captain Martin Odegaard, who sustained an injury during Norway’s 2-1 victory over Austria, and Declan Rice, who is suspended after receiving a red card in the match against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Merson, a former Arsenal player who won two First Division titles and an FA Cup with the club, has voiced concern that Arsenal could fall out of title contention if they don’t pick up at least four points from these two crucial fixtures.
“Arsenal’s Premier League campaign hinges on these next two games against Tottenham and Manchester City. They need to take four points, plain and simple,” Merson wrote in his column for Sky Sports.
“Anything less, and they risk falling behind, especially against a powerhouse like City. If they draw against Spurs and lose to City, they could be seven points back, and that might be too much to recover from. Even though there are over 30 games left, making up that kind of gap against City is tough.”
Merson also highlighted the significance of the North London derby, admitting that he was confident about Arsenal winning this fixture last season but is less certain this time around, noting that it’s a must-win in the context of the title race.
Arsenal currently sit third in the Premier League, trailing Liverpool and Manchester City by two points following a 1-1 draw with Brighton last month.
Paul Merson Warns Arsenal Must Secure Four Points Against Spurs and Man City to Stay in Premier League Title Race
