Paul Merson makes bold title race prediction for Arsenal and Man City – ‘Game over!’

Arsenal hold a seven-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City going into this weekend’s fixtures and have the chance to pull further clear when they face Everton

Paul Merson believes the Premier League title race will take a decisive turn in Arsenal’s favour this weekend. The Gunners go into the weekend with a seven-point lead over Manchester City, who can’t afford any slip-ups during the run-in.

Mikel Arteta’s side face Everton at home as they turn their attention back to the league after beating Mansfield to reach the quarter finals of the FA Cup and drawing 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. Arsenal are still in contention for the quadruple, but winning a first Premier League title in 22 years is the primary goal.

They have won their last three in the league to re-establish control after a shaky period, and City’s 2-2 draw with relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest last time out was a huge help. City followed that up by being thrashed 3-0 by Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie and need to respond when they travel to West Ham on Saturday evening.

Former Arsenal star Merson is feeling confident about his old club’s chances after a succession of efficient performances in the league. “Everton are a funny team, they play some good football away from home and are often hard to beat on their travels,” he told Sportskeeda. “It’s crazy how they sometimes get ripped to shreds in games and still get a result!

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“Arsenal haven’t been great in recent weeks. My god, they were lucky to get that draw against Bayer Leverkusen. They don’t play free-flowing football. I expect Arsenal to be far too good for Leverkusen at the Emirates, but at the moment, I’m still a bit worried about them. If that was a league game they drew, they would be in trouble.

“This will be a tough game for Arsenal. My only problem with Everton is that they haven’t produced a proper 90-minute display while winning games. They only play well in patches. If they fall off for even 30 or 45 minutes against Arsenal, it’s game over! I expect a tight game, but Arsenal to edge it just, 2-1.”

City play a West Ham side who have a lot to play for as they try to escape the relegation zone and Merson thinks they can cause an upset. “After the loss against Real Madrid, this has become a really tough game for Manchester City,” he said.

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“It was an unreal result, isn’t it? I watch a lot of Real Madrid and I’m a big fan of theirs, but I didn’t see that coming, if I’m being honest!

“If City don’t beat West Ham this weekend and Arsenal win against Everton, the title race is done! So this is a big week coming up for City. If things don’t go in their favour, they could be out of all competitions bar the FA Cup in the space of 10 days. Like I said, that loss to Real Madrid would have taken the stuffing out of them. It saps your confidence.

“I don’t expect City to bounce back this weekend. A draw here that would end their hopes of catching Arsenal in the title race and I’m going for 2-2.”

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