Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title resumes on Saturday evening when they host Fulham at the Emirates, and Paul Merson has made his prediction ahead of the clash.
Mikel Arteta’s side re-established their lead at the summit of the English top flight last weekend by narrowly beating Newcastle United in N5. The Gunners moved three points clear of Manchester City, who don’t play again until Monday night, when Pep Guardiola’s team travel to Merseyside to face Everton.
Merson correctly predicted that Arsenal would overcome Newcastle, and the pundit has made another bold claim heading into this upcoming weekend of Premier League action.
Paul Merson issues Arsenal vs Fulham prediction
In the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage, Arsenal claimed all three points courtesy of a Leandro Trossard tap-in from a corner. The Belgian reacted quickest after a Bukayo Saka corner was flicked on by the head of Gabriel Magalhaes.
A repeat of this would do Arsenal just fine in the game at the Emirates, and Merson believes his old team can indeed get the victory they so desperately need. Writing for Sportskeeda, the pundit revealed his belief that the Gunners will overcome Marco Silva’s side despite the West Londoners’ still being fiercely involved in the race for Europe.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | GD |
| 1 | Arsenal | 73 | 34 | +38 |
| 2 | Man City | 70 | 33 | +37 |
“This is a huge football match,” he wrote.
“Fulham’s win against Aston Villa keeps them busy in the race for European qualification. If Villa finish fifth and win the Europa League, the sixth-placed team will qualify for the Champions League. Even though Fulham are 10th in the table, they are just two points off sixth place.
“Arsenal must forget about the second leg against Atletico Madrid and get the job done against Fulham. If they lose to Fulham, then they will definitely lose to Atletico on Tuesday. And hence, it could be all over for them in the next few days. Arsenal must get the win.
“If I had to choose between the Premier League or the Champions League for Arsenal this season, I’d choose the league all day long. If they lose out on the league title to City and go into the Champions League final at the end of the season, they won’t be favourites to win that.
“The pressure will be huge, and Arsenal must ensure they win the league first before they can think of the Champions League trophy.”
Merson’s Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
Paul Merson makes huge Premier League title race claim
If Arsenal manage to beat Fulham, they’ll move six points clear of City ahead of the Manchester side’s huge match under the lights at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday. This will place enormous psychological pressure on the Citizens, and if they drop points on Merseyside, the Gunners will be in the ascendancy in the title race once again.
Merson didn’t hold back in his assessment of the title race. The former forward claimed that Arsenal will win the league if they beat Fulham.
“If Arsenal win this game, they win the league!” he wrote.
“Three points to Mikel Arteta’s team in this one and Manchester City will have to pull up trees to win the title from here on.
“I said it before as well, these two games against Newcastle and Fulham are so crucial for Arsenal that I would not think of goal difference. I’d take a 1-0 win and just get the three points.
“City still have to go to Everton and Bournemouth, which are two tricky away fixtures. Arsenal getting points on the board before those games will be an advantage for sure.
“I watched City against Burnley, and I thought they weren’t that great either. I expect them to score goals in games, but they could concede chances, and a team like Everton or Bournemouth might hurt them!”
