Paul Merson has expressed concern that Arsenal's pursuit of the title could be effectively over if they fail to secure four points in their next two fixtures. The Gunners are set to face Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby on Sunday, followed by a challenging match against reigning champions Manchester City the following week, with a UEFA Champions League clash against Atalanta in between.
Having already dropped points at home against Brighton & Hove Albion, and with both Manchester City and Liverpool maintaining perfect starts, Merson believes this upcoming week is crucial for Arsenal. "The next two matches against Tottenham and Man City will determine Arsenal's Premier League season," the former player stated. "They must earn four points. Anything less could lead to concerns, especially with City’s impressive form."
"If they draw with Spurs and lose to Man City, they could find themselves seven points adrift, which might be insurmountable. While there are still over 30 matches left, I struggle to see how they could close that gap. Last year, I was confident Arsenal would win the derby, but this season I have my doubts. Losing this match would be detrimental to their title aspirations."
In terms of team news, Arsenal will be missing suspended midfielder Declan Rice for the match against Spurs. Additionally, captain Martin Odegaard and defender Riccardo Calafiori are both injury doubts after international duty, and striker Gabriel Jesus has been sidelined with a groin issue.
Merson, who made 425 appearances and scored 99 goals for Arsenal, anticipates that manager Mikel Arteta may shift Kai Havertz back to midfield, as Havertz has been excelling in a centre-forward position recently. This could lead to Leandro Trossard or Raheem Sterling being deployed as a false nine.
"It seems likely that Kai Havertz will return to midfield due to Mikel Merino's injury," he noted. "With Gabriel Jesus out and Eddie Nketiah no longer in the squad, they will need to consider other options up front. Either Trossard or Sterling could fill that role, but it's a significant challenge for a winger to adapt to a striker position at a new club."
"You can manage a few games with a false nine, but relying on it for an extended period isn't ideal."