NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Paul Merson says he is concerned that Arsenal could cope with the intellectual burden of squandering back-to-back Premier League titles to Manchester City.
Unsurprisingly, the race for the name comes down to the final day of the season on Sunday, when Arsenal host Everton and City take on West Ham.
The Citizens are two separate from the Gunners and are therefore heavy favourites to be the first club in history to win four consecutive English top-flight titles.
Arsenal held back in the name race last season, but the result this time around, this crusade has shown that Mikel Arteta’s side are the real deal and a force to be reckoned with.
But Gunners legend Merson fears defeat could cause problems for the young team, telling Sportskeeda: “Arsenal have surely done nothing this season and have bounced back nicely after messing up the name last season, but the sad truth is that they will most likely look set to end the moment again.
“They are a fantastic team with a very intelligent young coach at the helm, Mikel Arteta, and my only fear will be whether they can mentally cope after two gruelling accusations of names.
“It’s all a matter of time and Arsenal have to live with the fact that they’ve been smart at a time when Manchester City are virtually unbeatable in a 38-game Premier League season.
“That’s why I consider [Jürgen] Klopp’s good luck in winning the league with Liverpool a monumental achievement. “
Although he would like to see his former team pull off a miracle on Sunday, Merson predicted City would accomplish the task with a simple win over the Irons.
“Everton will show and Sean Dyche will need his players to try, but I don’t see anything other than an Arsenal win,” he added.
“Manchester City have done their homework and are looking to win their fourth Premier League title in a row. It’s a wonderful game for them to play on the last day of the season, but they want to score early to ease the nerves.
“Against Tottenham, they were on edge and didn’t start playing smart football until after Erling Haaland’s second goal. A lot can happen on the final day of the season and scoring first will be the match decision for Manchester City and Arsenal.
“Predictions: Man City 2-0 West Ham. Arsenal 2-0 Everton.
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