Paul Merson speaking about Newcastle United and Arsenal.
Only four weeks of the season now remaining.
Five rounds of Premier League matches to decide everything, who wins the title and who is relegated, as well as the finishing places of those in between.
Paul Merson has been looking at the title race and in particular, the part this Newcastle United visit to Arsenal could play in it.
In the space of less than two weeks, Arsenal have gone from having a nine point lead to now be level on points and on goal difference. After a midweek 1-0 victory at Burnley, Manchester City top of the Premier League due to having scored three more goals than the Gunners.
Paul Merson though now declaring ahead of the weekend’s matches: “I actually think Arsenal still hold the advantage in the title race. If Man City had secured a big win over Burnley, I would have fancied them. But now I feel it is still within the Gunners’ reach. 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!”
Newcastle United have more than matched Arsenal under Eddie Howe when playing against them at St James’ Park in recent years. United winning four of five SJP clashes against Arsenal before that very late Gunners turn around victory early this season.
Whilst at the Emirates, Newcastle followed up the Andy Carroll winner in 2010/11 with 11 defeats in a row in all competitions, until the last four visits including a goalless draw and the 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final victory. The two most recent defeats came in a 4-1 loss that saw Karius start his only Premier League match for United, then the very most recent was at the end of last season when Newcastle wasted a host of first half chances and Declan Rice scored from outside the box with pretty much Arsenal’s only serious effort on target.
For all neutrals, this match will be all about how it impacts the title race.
Paul Merson declaring to Sportskeeda: “If Arsenal don’t win this game, it’s all over in the title race. They are literally in last chance saloon now. Man 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 Man City scoring more than them! Imagine losing a league title simply because you scored fewer goals? That would hurt. Well, I won the league with Arsenal in 1989 because we scored more goals than Liverpool, and I can tell you it’s only a good feeling if you win! 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.’
The way the fixtures have worked out and due to Man City in an FA Cup semi-final, Arsenal play twice before their title rivals next play.
Considering Arsenal play five teams that are in the bottom half of the Premier League, you would have usually thought they’d be overwhelming favourites to win the title. However, having lost to Bournemouth and Man City in the last two Premier League matches and generally not impressing in recent times, a lot of people predicting Mikel Arteta is going to bottle it, yet again.
Arsenal are home to Newcastle United and Fulham in the two Premier League matches before Man City next play, with Arsenal fans hoping for six points and a serious improvement in their goal difference and goals scored.
Former Gunners star Paul Merson though is amongst those Arsenal fans panicking: “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 at least got a draw in that game, they could have been a point ahead of Man City now.”
Despite his concerns Paul Merson has predicted Arsenal to win 2-0 against Newcastle United: ‘If Arsenal win their next two games, they will put all the pressure back on their rivals…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.’
Apart from Mackems and Spurs fans, neutrals will be hoping that Newcastle can deprive Mikel Arteta of points on Saturday. After three Premier League defeats in a row, Eddie Howe, his players and the United fans have their own reasons for wanting/needing a performance and a positive result at the Emirates.