Paul Merson makes Chelsea vs Arsenal prediction and names Mikel Arteta’s ‘most important’ player

Paul Merson says the title race is ‘over’ if Arsenal win again this weekend, but he expects the Premier League leaders to drop points away to Chelsea.

Arsenal are riding a nine-match unbeaten streak in the top flight and hold an imperious six-point lead over nearest rivals Chelsea heading into Sunday’s high-stakes London derby at Stamford Bridge.

After three successive runners-up finishes in the English top flight, the Gunners have established themselves as the clear frontrunners to lift the coveted trophy – 22 years on from their last triumph under Arsene Wenger.

And with Arsenal boasting the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues this season, a 1-0 defeat away to Liverpool back in August remains Arsenal’s only loss of the campaign after 12 games.

Mikel Arteta’s men should also be buoyed by their outstanding midweek victory at home to Bayern Munich, a team they had not beaten in over a decade.

However, Arsenal were not the only English side to lay down a marker in the Champions League this week, with Chelsea having swept aside Barcelona in a statement win just 24 hours earlier in the capital.

It could not have come at a better time for Enzo Maresca’s side, who appear to have hit their stride following a somewhat inconsistent start to the season both domestically and in Europe.

Paul Merson’s Chelsea vs Arsenal prediction

If Arsenal win, the title race is over! I expect Manchester City to win this weekend, but even then, a win for Arsenal puts everything to bed. I saw Chelsea against Barcelona and they completely blew Hansi Flick’s team away even before the red card to Ronald Araujo. Arsenal also beat Bayern Munich quite comfortably, with their second half performance being mind-blowing!

I don’t think Enzo Maresca needs to win this game. His objective is to finish in the top four and have a cup run this season. If Chelsea win this game, they automatically become title contenders. Then the expectations from this team changes and I’m not sure it will suit them. We saw how Chelsea were frontrunners around December last season and they suddenly fell off.

So can Chelsea beat Arsenal? I don’t think so. I’m a Chelsea fan and I watch this team all the time. I just don’t think Arsenal will lose this game. Chelsea have a very young team and are always up and down in terms of result. I don’t believe Chelsea have the experience to win a league title just yet.

This game will also witness the battle of Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice, two of the best midfielders in the world. I can’t wait to watch that battle! It will also be interesting to see what team Maresca will play. Could he be tempted into using a false nine like he did against Barcelona? Arsenal are better at the back, but I just think Chelsea can get a point.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal (from Merson’s Sportskeeda column)

‘Sit down and buckle in on Sunday,’ ex-Arsenal midfielder Merson – a lifelong Chelsea fan – told Sky Sports.

‘This is a Super Sunday. Chelsea versus Arsenal is a massive football match.

‘If Arsenal win it, I think it is good night nurse. I think it will be all over. They won’t be caught and they’ll just blow everyone away.’

According to Merson, Arsenal signalled to the rest of Europe that they mean business with their ‘outstanding’ performance to ‘steamroll’ Bayern Munich.

‘It’s a huge statement from Arsenal,’ he continued.

‘That goes all around Europe. People will be watching and seeing this result. They will be saying “wow”, especially because of what Bayern have done to Arsenal in recent years.

’This Bayern Munich team are blowing everyone away. I know the Bundesliga is not like the Premier League, but they are proven in Europe. They go deep in European competition.

‘Arsenal were outstanding. The first half was touch and go. Both sides had their moments, but in the second half, Arsenal steamrolled them.’

During TNT Sports’ coverage of Wednesday’s showdown at the Emirates, Martin Keown almost ran out of superlatives to describe Declan Rice’s display against the Bundesliga champions.

The former Arsenal defender joked Rice ‘had the keys to the city’ and applauded the midfielder on what he felt was perhaps his ‘most complete’ showing for the Gunners.

Merson was similarly impressed by Rice’s lung-busting performance and believes the England international is now far and away Arsenal’s ‘most important’ player.

‘Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard and Ben White came on. They were the five subs and they walk into the first XIs of most teams,’ he went on.

‘For how big the squad is and how good it is, they cannot afford to lose Declan Rice. The man gets better and better and better.

‘He was absolutely outstanding and he ran Bayern into the ground.

‘He is Arsenal’s most important player – one million per cent. But Martin Zubimendi deserves a mention, too. He was phenomenal.’