Arsenal title push ‘finished’ on one condition amid Liverpool ‘big advantage’
Paul Merson has urged Arsenal to cut Liverpool’s lead over them to six points before it reaches 12 if they are to stay in the Premier League title race.
Sunday’s draw at Chelsea saw both London clubs leapfrog Nottingham Forest and Brighton to occupy third and fourth behind champions Manchester City and leaders Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s side hold a nine-point advantage over Arsenal having only dropped points in two of their opening 11 matches.
Man City, meanwhile, lost their second Premier League match in a row at Brighton on Saturday.
It felt like a must-win game for Arsenal at Stamford Bridge but it was a very even match and a draw was a fair result.
Nine points is a large gap for a team challenging for the top spot – even if it’s November – and Gunners icon Merson thinks they must “get on a run” after the international break.
“On the last couple of games, they won’t be far away,” he said on Sky Sports. “Good performance in Milan, didn’t really look like scoring.
“Today they’ve come to a difficult place, a team that are playing well with very talented footballers and were very comfortable if I’m being honest. [David] Raya didn’t really make any world-class saves.
“It’s a start, it’s a base. He’s [Mikel Arteta] got to get the players fit now, he’s got to fuel the tank up, that’s the main thing.
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“They’ve got to get on a run. They’ve got to make sure this goes down to six points before it gets to 12 points. If it gets to 12, goodnight.”
Merson continued: “I don’t think they’re back in it.
“I still think they’ll do well to catch Liverpool, but if they can get it to six before it goes to 12, which is important, which might be at the end of December…but as long as it goes to six before 12, because if it goes to 12, it’s finished.
“Arsenal haven’t got a mistake in them. Liverpool have a mistake in them because they’ve got such a big lead on Arsenal.”
Co-pundit Jamie Redknapp added that Liverpool have a “big advantage” over Arsenal in the title race.
“It’s going to all the way because we’ve already seen anyone can beat anyone, what Liverpool have in their favour is that Arsenal have to go there as well. That’s a big advantage. Going to Anfield is never easy,” Redknapp said.
“They’ve got themselves in a great position. Arne Slot is a big winner this weekend. He’d have looked at that and thought, as long as Arsenal don’t win I’ll be delighted.
“Manchester City losing yesterday, it’s been perfect for them.
“Right now, the ascendency is with Liverpool. I didn’t see that happening at the start of the year.”
Former Chelsea head coach Graham Potter was also on commentary duty and believes Arsenal’s dip in form is down to the injuries they have suffered.
“For the first time they have suffered with injuries,” he said. “That’s been the big factor with them.
“Last couple of years they’ve been fortunate and they’ve worked very well to have not so much disruption.
“As soon as you lose [Martin] Odegaard, as soon as you lose your centre-backs that are the foundation for your team, soon as you have to make them changes, and you’ve got Champions League, and playing against teams that haven’t got the European challenges, all of a sudden it becomes harder and harder.”
