Paul Merson has boldly predicted that Arsenal will win the Premier League title if they beat Fulham or if Liverpool fail to beat Manchester United.
Following the international break, the Premier League returns with leaders Arsenal travelling to Craven Cottage on Saturday before Liverpool face their arch-rivals at Anfield on Sunday.
Only one point separates the Gunners and the Reds after seven games, with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea not far behind.
Nevertheless, Merson has seen enough to predict that this weekend could see the title race decided if his former side are able to overcome the Cottagers, who have been their bogey team in recent years.
‘If you’re Arsenal, these are the games that are going to win you the league. I’ve seen them slipping up in games like these too many times,’ the former Gunners star told Sportskeeda.
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‘Three points in this game will send a strong message to their rivals about them learning from the mistakes of the past. Last season, when Arsenal finished second to Liverpool, they lost to West Ham, Fulham and Newcastle.
‘If Arsenal win this Saturday, that’s all of those three teams beaten this season, and nine points they missed last time in the bag already! I actually think that if Arsenal win this game, they will walk the league title!
‘It’s an unbelievable squad and the depth is insane. Arsenal have two good players for every position on the pitch. They look unstoppable.
‘Nobody can catch them if they keep playing like this! If they hadn’t lost to Liverpool, we would’ve been thinking, “can anyone actually beat them this season?”.
‘Arsenal have had the toughest start to a football season and they are still the league leaders! I expect them to kick on from here starting with a comfortable 2-0 win over Fulham.’
Arsenal have failed to win their last two games at Craven Cottage, with draws and defeats against Marco Silva’s side derailing their title challenges.
As for Liverpool, following a stunning start to the season they suffered three consecutive defeats before the international break, with the flaws of Arne Slot’s team exposed.
They are still favourites to beat struggling United but already, Merson believes this match is a ‘must-win’ and if they don’t, it will be curtains for their title hopes.
‘If they fail to win for a third straight league game, this title race may even be over! I’m not exaggerating when I say that,’ he added.
‘I know there are plenty of games left to play, but Arsenal look unstoppable at the moment. Mikel Arteta’s team look determined to banish the ghosts of the past by going all the way this season. And the longer they stay in front of Liverpool, the more confident they will be about getting the job done.’
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