Arsenal: Paul Merson backs Gunners to win Premier League, leading to Pep Guardiola leaving Man City | Football news

Paul Merson says Arsenal will win the Premier League this season and believes the success of Mikel Arteta’s side could force Pep Guardiola out of Manchester City.

Arsenal lead the title race, two points ahead of second-placed Manchester City ahead of the Premier League weekend. They ran flawlessly at the start of the season, but a few small bumps in the road reduced their lead.

However, as Arteta prepares for his sixth anniversary in charge, Merson claims the Gunners are on course to end their 22-year wait for Premier League glory despite competition from City.

And, after reports cast doubt on Guardiola’s future this week – with replacements suggested to be on the cards – Merson also believes an Arsenal title win could well spell the end for the Spaniard at the Etihad.

“Arsenal will win the Premier League”

“I think they [Arsenal] win the league,” Merson said. “There are 22 games left. Their team is so big and strong that they win the championship, in my opinion. If there were six games left and I was sitting here and had two points, then I would say Man City!

“Man City is not the Man City of old. It’s not the Man City that we’ve seen and tearing teams apart. I used to do Saturday football and watch teams come in and have their stomachs tickled, and if they come away with two or three draws there, they’re more than happy.

“It’s not like that anymore. And I think it’s taken a toll on him. I think it’s a lot harder now. I think there’s a lot more. He used to coach the team and then they would go out and they would play.

“I think there’s a lot more to do now. It’s exhausting. And when you’re a manager, he is, I’m only talking from afar, but his head reminds me of a washing machine. It’s always running.

“He’s always thinking about something. I don’t think he ever relaxes, and that takes its toll. And I think if they don’t win this season, I think he’ll know that it’s probably going to be an Arsenal to dominate for a while, and I think he’ll get away with it while he’s still in the lead.

“There are only two sure things in management: you pay your taxes, you are fired. These are the two safest things in management, you have to give time.

“You know what Arteta has done. I hear people saying: ‘if they don’t win this year, Arteta has to go’.

“He found his life at Arsenal. They had no chance of winning the championship. Would they make the top four? It was child’s play.

“They are very, very great players now. He got rid of everyone, all the trouble, everyone, and he brought the club back to life. And now they are a very good team, and if you finish above Arsenal you will win the Premier League.”

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Chelsea are a good cup team, not championship winners

“(Enzo) Maresca says, ‘I don’t see the problem.’ You were the problem! You started last week. If he doesn’t come out and say nothing, everyone moves on.

“Chelsea are in the semi-final of the cup, fourth in the championship, Champions League. Everything is going well at the moment. It’s not too bad, but they are not going to win the championship yet.

“They don’t have a team that wins the league. They have a cup team. The team is a cup team where they will perform at such high levels, but they are such a young team that they will be here one week and then they will be here.

“When I go to see Chelsea, they never give you a 90-minute performance. It will be 20 minutes of greatness, 25 minutes of ‘wow, where did that come from?’, and another 15 minutes of greatness.

“It’s never the same in every area. That’s why they will do well in the cups. I think they will win a cup, but they won’t win the championship in 38 games. The team doesn’t have enough experience to go all the way.

“They didn’t buy to win the Premier League, in my opinion. That’s why I don’t think there will be a problem if they don’t win the league.

“I think they continue to be in the top four. They can continue to sign a player here and there and maybe sell him, but they have to continue to be in the top four for Champions League football.

“I don’t think the owners will have the pressure of not winning the Premier League, because the owners didn’t buy to win the Premier League. In my opinion, they bought to be a good cup team, with a strong position in the Premier League.

Villa not in title race

“Aston Villa are three points behind. If we talk today, yes, they are in the title race.

“But we are talking about the next 22 games. I think Unai Emery would want to win the Europa League. If he came fourth in this Premier League and won that, I think the Villa fans would be happy.

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“Villa haven’t won a trophy for 30 years. Yes, I played for that club. Luckily, I loved it there. It’s a massive football club.

“They need to win a trophy. If they can win a trophy and finish in the top four, I think they’ve had an incredible season, but the team isn’t huge. And if Morgan Rogers gets injured, I’d be a little worried about them.”

The problems run deeper than the Spurs manager

“It goes further than managers [at Tottenham]. It must be the players, it must be the players. They’ve had some of the greatest managers of all time at Tottenham, and none of them have been successful.

“And I didn’t like what he [Thomas Frank] said the other week. I know the fans get a little anxious, and if you’re not up 3-0 in the first 20 minutes, they all start wanting to go crazy.

“Their neighbors are doing well, but at the same time, as a manager you also have to understand the shelves. When you are a player, there are shelves. Managers have their shelves.

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“He runs a great football club, and that’s no disrespect to Brentford. I was at Brentford when they were beaten by Bournemouth, and everyone walks onto the pitch, applauds, and they’re still there.

“It doesn’t happen at Tottenham. You have to know that when you go in. These Tottenham fans are coming in every week, 60,000 every two weeks, and they haven’t been great in how many years, but they’re coming. You can’t say what you said. I think on Saturday, if they’re beaten. [by Liverpool]I think Frank will be in trouble.”