"If Arsenal Lose to Liverpool, They’re Out of the Title Race," Warns Paul Merson

Arsenal legend Paul Merson has sent a serious Warning to Mikel Arteta on the Gunners’ title hopes this season, saying that they will be out of the Premier League title race if they lose to Liverpool this Sunday. With Arsenal hosting Liverpool at the Emirates, Merson thinks that another defeat will widen the gap too much between Arsenal and the top of the table.

Arsenal just experienced their first loss of the season, a shameful 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth. This result caused them to drop four points behind the league leaders, who are on a strong winning streak. While Arsenal still have many of games ahead, Merson feels that another loss to Liverpool could be a big blow. He says a seven-point gap would be hard for the Gunners to close, especially with the high standards set by Manchester City and Liverpool and the unbeaten streaks that they’re both on.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Merson admitted he would be “shocked” if Arsenal lost to Liverpool and then managed to win the league. “I’d be absolutely amazed,” he added, stating how difficult it is to compete when you’re far behind. Merson pointed out that Arsenal are not just chasing one team but two—Manchester City and Liverpool, both of whom have consistently put up a beautiful performances in since the start of the season.

Merson continued, “They’re not just chasing one team down, they’re chasing two.” With the high standards set by Manchester City and Liverpool, Merson feels Arsenal must keep pace or risk falling too far behind to recover. “At the start of the season, if I said, ‘I’ll have Man City and Liverpool to win the league, and you can have Arsenal, but you’ve got to give me a seven-point head start,’ you wouldn’t do it in a million years,” he illustrated, pointing at the difficulty of bridging such a gap if they’re to lose to Liverpool on a Sunday.

Merson also compared Arsenal’s current position to that of Manchester City, as the team that has been impressive and consistent in since the start of the season. “The figures that Man City have put up over the past five or six years,” Merson noted, “make it hard for any team to catch them when they’re in the lead.” He added, “For me, Arsenal would be out of the title race if they lose this one. They’d be out; I just can’t see how they’d catch up.”

Liverpool on the other hand has started the season impressively under their new manager, Arne Slot, who has led the team to seven wins in their first eight Premier League games. Merson said he is impressed with Slot’s strategy and the determination he has instilled in the Liverpool squad. Unlike other new managers who may make drastic changes out of pride, Slot has focused on consistency and control, making Liverpool tough opponent for to beat.

As Merson points out, Arsenal has plenty of obstacles ahead of Sunday’s game. Mikel Arteta is dealing with a series of injuries and suspensions that could affect the team performance. Key defender William Saliba is suspended due to a red card in the Bournemouth match, which leaves a leak in Arsenal’s defense. Arteta also faces uncertainty with several key players, like Riccardo Calafiori, Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jurrien Timber, and captain Martin Odegaard, all facing injury concerns ahead of the Liverpool Match.

Merson indicated that Arsenal’s challenge involves a lot more than just passing Liverpool but also Manchester City. “With 29 games remaining, people may think it’s early, but a seven-point gap against two such strong teams at this point is big,” he said. Merson pointed out that if Arsenal falls further behind, it will be practically hard for them to overcome City’s consistency and Liverpool’s current form under Slot.