Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title resumes on Saturday afternoon when they host Newcastle United at the Etihad, and Paul Merson has made his prediction ahead of the pivotal encounter.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been leapfrogged by City in the table, after Pep Guardiola’s side ran out 1-0 winners over Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday night. However, with the title potentially set to be decided on goal difference, Arsenal will be buoyed by the fact that the Citizens didn’t take advantage of playing one of the weakest teams in the league and score several goals.
Merson correctly predicted that Arsenal would lose at the Etihad last week, and the former pundit has made another bold prediction heading into this upcoming weekend of Premier League action.
Paul Merson issues Arsenal vs Newcastle prediction
In the reverse fixture at St. James’ Park, Arsenal scored a 96th-minute winner to claim all three points in the north-east. Gabriel Magalhaes rose highest from a Martin Odegaard corner to put the Gunners in front in injury time, capping off what was an impressive display from Arteta’s team in a hostile atmosphere.
A similar result would do Arsenal just fine in the game at the Emirates, and Merson believes his old side can indeed get the win they desperately need. Writing for Sportskeeda, the pundit cited Newcastle’s poor recent form as a reason for backing the North Londoners.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | GD |
| 1 | Man City | 70 | 33 | +37 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 70 | 33 | +37 |
“This is a humongous football match,” he wrote.
“Newcastle have lost to Barcelona, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, four losses on the trot. You’d think Arsenal should win this, but Newcastle often do well in this fixture!
“Arsenal have four big fixtures coming up over the next two weeks. After this game, they face Atletico Madrid away from home in the Champions League semi-final and host Fulham next weekend before the return leg against Diego Simeone’s team.
“That is a tricky run. And let’s be honest, Arsenal have been losing a bit of control in recent weeks. They have started to wobble at the wrong time. That Bournemouth defeat hurt them the most. If they at least got a draw in that game, they could have been a point ahead of City now.
“This has always been an entertaining fixture in the last few seasons. Even though I’m backing Arsenal to win, I don’t think the result is a foregone conclusion here.”
Merson’s Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United
What Paul Merson thinks about the Premier League title race
City only lead Arsenal on goals scored, with the two teams tied for points and goal difference. This shows just how fine the margins currently are, and the Gunners will therefore need to mind every minor detail between now and the end of the season.
Drawing on his own experiences in 1989, Merson wrote about the prospect of the title going to goal difference, before claiming that the title race would be over if Arsenal slip up on Saturday.
“Like I said before, City winning by just the odd goal against Burnley puts the ball back in Arsenal’s court,” he said.
“The reason why I say Arsenal have an advantage is because they play twice before City’s next game away at Everton.
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“So they could be six points ahead before Guardiola’s men take the trip to Merseyside, which will be a tough game for City. If Arsenal win their next two games, they will put all the pressure back on their rivals.
“I haven’t seen enough from City to suggest they will not let in goals during games. Even against Burnley, they conceded big chances. Arsenal should just win the next two games at all costs, and if they do it, I can sense them back to being in control in the title race.
“If Arsenal don’t win this game, it’s all over in the title race. They are literally in last chance saloon now. City are above Arsenal only because they’ve scored more goals. So there is still a possibility of Arsenal winning every game and still losing the title due to City scoring more than them!
“Imagine losing a league title simply because you scored fewer goals? That would hurt. Well, I won the league with Arsenal in 1989 because we scored more goals than Liverpool, and I can tell you it’s only a good feeling if you win!
“This has always been an entertaining fixture in the last few seasons. Even though I’m backing Arsenal to win, I don’t think the result is a foregone conclusion here.”
