Paul Merson says Arsenal are a ‘different team’ with Martin Odegaard in the side and the club have ‘got a chance’ in the Premier League title race if they can keep their best players fit.
Arsenal have bounced back after a disappointing run of results, which coincided with the absence of captain Odegaard, to win their last four matches on the spin in all competitions.
A pair of second-half goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba sealed the Gunners a 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Wednesday night, a result which saw Liverpool’s lead at the top shrink to seven points.
Arne Slot’s men were held to a 3-3 draw by Newcastle after Fabian Schar struck with a last-gasp equaliser at St James’ Park, while Chelsea thumped ten-man Southampton 5-1 to leapfrog Arsenal into second place.
Reigning champions Manchester City, meanwhile, managed to halt their miserable seven-game winless streak with a 3-0 defeat of Nottingham Forest at the Etihad.
‘If Arsenal can keep all their players fit and then, yesterday, there was a couple of injuries and you’re thinking, “Phwoar!”, but then Manchester United sort of rested some players so they got away with it, Arsenal,’ ex-Arsenal midfielder said of the Gunners’ performance against United on Sky Sports News.
‘But if they can get their best team on the pitch like they did the week before, the team that beat West Ham, then they have got a chance. The team that beat Sporting was their best team.
‘If they get that on the pitch every week, they can get on a run and win six or seven games on the trot.
‘I said on Super Sunday a few weeks ago that it had to get down to six points before it went to 12. It’s down to seven at the moment.
‘Both Liverpool and Arsenal have got difficult games this weekend but Arsenal have just got to stay in there. Keep everybody fit and you never, never know.
‘They won’t be far off. With Odegaard back in the team, they’re a completely different team.’
Despite Chelsea’s strong start to the campaign, Enzo Maresca once again played down the club’s title chances in the wake of the Wednesday’s thumping win over Southampton.
Merson – a lifelong Chelsea fan – believes Maresca has done an ‘outstanding job’ since replacing Mauricio Pochettino but agrees that the title is most likely beyond them this season.
Asked whether he concurs with Maresca’s insistence that Chelsea are not serious title contenders, Merson replied: ‘I would say that at the moment. You’ve got to learn how to walk before you start sprinting.
‘I think they’ve just got to keep on going, they’re going under the radar at the moment. It’s a young team.
‘I don’t want to be picky but at 3-1 up they’re cruising, they’re playing against ten men, and the goalkeeper has to make a worldy save. You shouldn’t be giving chances up with ten men, not when they were playing like they were.
‘I think the manager is right. You look at it, they’ve played Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal and they haven’t won any of those games yet.
‘They played Arsenal when Arsenal were really on the edge, they were struggling, and Chelsea couldn’t beat them. They were probably unlucky not to get a draw at Liverpool and then they lost to Manchester City so they’re beating the lesser teams and beating them comfortably.
‘I think if Chelsea get in the top four and win a trophy, I expect them to win the Europa Conference League, then I think that’s a great season. We’ve got to remember at the start of the season that it was about trying to get into the top four.
‘But I like the manager, I think he’s been outstanding.’
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