Paul Merson rates Arsenal’s Premier League chances after getting ‘destroyed by Newcastle’

Paul Merson has urged Arsenal not to sack Mikel Arteta, but has predicted his erstwhile nine volition neglect to triumph a trophy this season.

Arsenal person not won a large trophy since the FA Cup successful 2020 and aft coming adjacent to the Premier League rubric successful the past 2 seasons, galore predicted that the drought would extremity this campaign.

But successful conscionable the past period they were knocked retired of the FA Cup by Manchester United and mislaid their Carabao Cup semi-final 4-0 connected aggregate to Newcastle.

Moreover, they way Liverpool successful the Premier League rubric contention by six points, which could get worse erstwhile the Reds play their crippled successful manus against section rivals Everton adjacent week.

That leaves the Champions League and portion the Gunners are done to the last-16, it is the Reds who are the competition’s favourites, with immoderate adjacent tipping Arne Slot’s broadside to triumph an unprecedented quadruple.

The mediocre showing successful the decision astatine St. James’ Park has fixed Merson superior doubts implicit whether Arteta’s squad volition assistance silverware this season, saying the manager has missed a aureate opportunity.

‘They’ve got 2 [trophies near to win], 1 they could beryllium retired of by Wednesday nighttime successful my opinion,’ the Arsenal leader said connected Sky Sports.

‘If Liverpool triumph astatine Everton, that’ll beryllium 9 points wide with 15 unusual games left. They’d person to suffer 4 of them which I deliberation would beryllium impossible. To me, it comes down to Wednesday.

‘I did half-fancy them successful the Champions League but I’ve conscionable seen them get destroyed by Newcastle implicit 2 legs and – nary disrespect – there’s a batch amended teams than Newcastle successful the Champions League knockout phase, truthful for maine they’re close up against it.

‘It each depends however galore points they get beaten by successful the extremity if they don’t triumph the league. If they travel 2nd again.. he’s going to stay, I anticipation radical don’t think, “Oh, let’s alteration the manager”.

‘But helium had to beryllium there, acceptable to pounce erstwhile Man City dropped disconnected and helium didn’t and Liverpool have.’

If they privation to triumph the Premier League, Arsenal indispensable beryllium faultless until the extremity of the season, starting with adjacent Saturday’s travel to Leicester City.

The Gunners person been awesome successful the Champions League truthful acold this season, winning six of their 8 league signifier games, with their lone decision coming distant to Inter Milan.

They finished 3rd successful the array – down lone Liverpool and Barcelona – and volition instrumentality connected the victor of either Feyenoord vs AC Milan oregon Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven successful the last-16.

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