Paul Merson believes the Premier League title race will be effectively over if Arsenal fail to end their poor run of form against Newcastle on Saturday. The Gunners saw the title slip from their grasp after a damaging 2-1 defeat to rivals Manchester City last weekend. A midweek win for Pep Guardiola's side against Burnley means City now sit top of the table with only five games remaining.
Arsenal, who only two weeks ago were nine points clear of City, have seen their quest for silverware falter after just one win in their last six matches in all competitions. Merson thinks Mikel Arteta's side could soon find themselves out of contention if they don't get back to winning ways against an out-of-form Newcastle.
Merson's Verdict
Speaking to Sportskeeda, the former Arsenal midfielder said: 'This is a humungous football match. Newcastle have lost to Barcelona, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth — four losses on the trot. You'd think Arsenal should win this, but Newcastle often do well in this fixture!'
He added: 'Arsenal have four big fixtures coming up over the next two weeks. After this game, they face Atletico Madrid away in the Champions League semi-final and host Fulham next weekend before the return leg against Diego Simeone's team. That is a tricky run. And let's be honest, Arsenal have been losing a bit of control in recent weeks. They have started to wobble at the wrong time. That Bournemouth defeat hurt them the most. If they had at least got a draw in that game, they could be a point ahead of City now.'
Last Chance Saloon
'If Arsenal don't win this game, it's all over in the title race. They are literally in last chance saloon now. City are above Arsenal only because they've scored more goals. So there is still a possibility of Arsenal winning every game and still losing the title due to City scoring more than them!'
However, Merson reckons that the manner of City's win against Burnley, combined with their fixture schedule over the next fortnight, means all hope is not yet lost for Arsenal as both sides enter the final stretch.
'Like I said before, City winning by just the odd goal against Burnley puts the ball back in Arsenal's court,' he said. 'The reason why I say Arsenal have an advantage is because they play twice before City's next game away at Everton. So they could be six points ahead before Guardiola's men take the trip to Merseyside, which will be a tough game for City. If Arsenal win their next two games, they will put all the pressure back on their rivals.'
City's Vulnerability
'I haven't seen enough from City to suggest they will not let in goals during games. Even against Burnley, they conceded big chances. Arsenal should just win the next two games at all cost and if they do it, I can sense them back to being in control in the title race.'
While Merson is hopeful that his former club will win on Saturday, the ex-Gunners midfielder urged caution: 'This has always been an entertaining fixture in the last few seasons. Even though I'm backing Arsenal to win, I don't think the result is a foregone conclusion here.'
