Paul Merson fears Arsenal’s title challenge could be all but over if they don’t pick up four points from their next two matches. The Gunners travel to Tottenham Hotspur for the north London derby on Sunday before they visit champions Manchester City seven days later, with a trip to Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League sandwiched in between next Thursday.
After already dropping two points at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, paired with Man City and Liverpool’s flawless starts to the season, Arsenal legend Merson believes this will be a pivotal week in the club's season. “Arsenal's Premier League season all comes down to the next two games against Tottenham and Man City,” the 56-year-old said in an interview with Sky Sports. “They need four points. It's as simple as that. If they get anything less, then you start to worry because you're playing catch-up against a machine in Man City.
“If they draw against Spurs and lose at Man City a week later, they're probably going to be seven points behind. I think that would be it. “I know there are 30-odd games left but I just can't see how they make up the seven points. "I was very bullish last year saying Arsenal would definitely win the north London derby but I'm not so sure this season. It's a game they can't afford to lose in the title race.”
Arsenal training ahead of Sunday's derby Who will Arteta pick? Arsenal will be without suspended midfielder Declan Rice against Spurs while captain Martin Odegaard and Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori both picked up injuries while on international duty and are doubtful. Striker Gabriel Jesus has missed the last two Matchweeks with a groin injury.
Merson, who played 425 times for Arsenal and scored 99 goals, thinks manager Mikel Arteta will move Kai Havertz, who has been thriving since moving to a centre-forward role midway through last season, back into midfield, with either Leandro Trossard or Deadline Day signing Raheem Sterling starting as a false nine.
“You'd think Kai Havertz probably drops back into midfield because Mikel Merino is injured,” he added. “Gabriel Jesus is injured - and wouldn't score 20 goals - and they got rid of Eddie Nketiah, so now you're looking at having to play someone else up there. He could play Leandro Trossard or even Raheem Sterling but that's a big ask for a winger to play up front at a new club.
"You might get away with it for two or three games playing a false nine, but you wouldn't want to go seven, eight, nine games with one."