Paul Merson has expressed concerns about Arsenal’s upcoming match against Liverpool, emphasizing the potential repercussions of a defeat. The context stems from Arsenal’s recent 2-0 loss at Bournemouth, marking their first defeat of the season. Arsenal sit four points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and are also trailing second-placed Manchester City by three points. Merson highlights that a defeat to Liverpool would extend the gap to seven points, which could be detrimental to Arsenal’s title aspirations.
Paul Merson said, “They would be in major trouble if they lose to Liverpool at the weekend. They are playing catch-up, and the top teams aren’t losing five or six games a season. These top managers just don’t lose games. Arsenal will probably lose another couple before the end of the season, and so this is a cup final this weekend. It’s a massive football match. Only time will tell if these red card offences will cost Arsenal the title. It wasn’t a good result [against Bournemouth], three big points dropped. We had this problem early in Arsene Wenger’s reign, they suffered with sending offs, and they were not a dirty team, just physical. It’s a bit of luck here and there. When you’re playing for Arsenal, it’s a big club, in the heat of the moment you have to make cool decisions and on Saturday William Saliba does not have to do that.”
Regarding William Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth, Merson remarked on the decision-making needed in moments of high pressure. The incident involved Saliba dragging down Bournemouth’s Evanilson, leading to a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. Merson noted the importance of assessing situations calmly given Arsenal’s stature and the competition they face.
