Paul Merson on Arsenal
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Arsenal legend Paul Merson has made a confident prediction ahead of the Gunners’ highly anticipated Premier League clash against Chelsea on Sunday.
The North London club has enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings between the two sides, but Chelsea showed signs of resurgence in their earlier encounter this season, securing a hard-fought draw at Stamford Bridge. On that occasion, Pedro Neto’s late goal cancelled out Gabriel Martinelli’s opener.
Despite Arsenal’s dominant 5-0 victory in the corresponding fixture last season, manager Mikel Arteta expects a much tighter contest this time around.
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“I think it’s going to be a very different game,” Arteta said. “The way they’ve developed as a team is very impressive—what Enzo has done, the amount of talent they have in the squad. It’s going to be a really tough match, and we’ll have to be at our best.
“Both teams want to be dominant, aggressive in the high press, and comfortable with the ball. There’s a lot of individual quality on the pitch. It’s about imposing our game and keeping them far from their strengths.”
Merson, however, remains confident that Arsenal will come out on top, arguing that Chelsea still lack a cutting edge in attack.
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“Arsenal need to win this game. A defeat to Chelsea would drag them back into the race for a top-four finish,” Merson told Sportskeeda. “They are now 15 points behind Liverpool and just eight points ahead of Manchester City in fifth place. Another loss, and suddenly, you’d have to start worrying about their Champions League qualification.”
The former Arsenal midfielder also questioned Chelsea’s attacking options in the absence of Nicolas Jackson, suggesting that the Blues lack a natural goal threat.
“Chelsea have no threat up front without Jackson. I’ve always said Christopher Nkunku is more of a No.10, and you can’t expect him to lead the line like a No.9. Cole Palmer is key for Chelsea, but without Jackson, he has struggled,” Merson added.
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