Paul Merson, a two-time league champion with Arsenal, believes the Premier League title race could shockingly conclude before the next international break. He points to the surprising inconsistency of both Liverpool and Manchester City as the driving force behind this bold prediction.
Arsenal travels to Turf Moor to face Burnley this weekend, and Merson anticipates a victory for the league leaders. Despite Burnley’s recent back-to-back wins, he doesn’t foresee Scott Parker’s team posing a significant threat to Arteta’s in-form squad.
Merson emphasizes Arsenal’s dominance, noting that even struggling to break down Burnley, like Liverpool earlier in the season, wouldn’t necessarily indicate a problem. He highlights Burnley’s tactical approach – sitting back and capitalizing on strengths – as a common strategy for newly promoted teams fighting for survival.
The sheer quality of Arsenal is undeniable, according to Merson. He suggests that Burnley simply achieving a shot on goal would be considered a major accomplishment, a testament to Arsenal’s defensive solidity and control of possession.
A remarkable statistic recently caught Merson’s attention: even if Arsenal conceded a goal from *every* shot faced this season, they would still have amassed an impressive 13 to 14 points. This illustrates an extraordinary level of defensive resilience and attacking efficiency.
Merson draws a comparison between this Arsenal team and Jose Mourinho’s legendary Chelsea side, renowned for their defensive prowess. The key difference, he notes, is consistency – Chelsea maintained that level throughout an entire season, while Arsenal have only demonstrated it for nine games.
To truly emulate that Chelsea team, Merson believes Arsenal must limit themselves to conceding no more than four goals in every subsequent nine-game stretch. Achieving this would be, in his words, “unbelievable” in the modern game.
Merson boldly reiterated a prediction made on September 19th: if Arsenal secured four points from their challenging matches against Manchester City and Newcastle United, they would win the league. They achieved this, and he remains steadfast in his conviction.
The upcoming schedule is crucial. Arsenal faces Burnley and Sunderland before the international break, while Liverpool battles Aston Villa and Manchester City. Merson expects Arsenal to win both their matches and doesn’t favor Liverpool in their contest.
A potential clash between Manchester City and Liverpool resulting in dropped points for both would, in Merson’s view, all but guarantee Arsenal the title. He even anticipates a successful run in the Champions League, potentially sealed with the league title already secured.
Arsenal’s momentum continued with a 2-0 victory over Brighton in the Carabao Cup midweek, propelling them to the quarter-finals. They will now face Crystal Palace, with Manchester City, Chelsea, and the defending champions Newcastle United also remaining in contention.
