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Paul Merson sends clear title message to Arsenal and Mikel Arteta ahead of North London derby

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson
-Credit: (Image: Sky Sports)


Paul Merson believes Arsenal's dream of winning the Premier League could be over if they don't pick up a healthy amount of points against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in the coming weeks.

The Gunners make the short trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the first North London derby of the season before locking horns with Manchester City at the Etihad seven days later.

To make matters worse, Mikel Arteta is set to be without captain Martin Odegaard for Sunday's clash in North London after the midfielder was injured in Norway's 2-1 win over Austria on Tuesday. Declan Rice will also miss Sunday's game as he serves a one-match suspension for his sending off against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.

And Merson, who won two First Division titles and an FA Cup during his time as a Gunners, believes his former club could be in danger of being cut adrift from the title race if they don't take at least four points from the next two games.

"Arsenal's Premier League season all comes down to the next two games against Tottenham and Man City. They need four points. It's as simple as that," wrote Merson in his Sky Sports column. "If they get anything less, then you start to worry because you're playing catch-up against a machine in Man City.

"If they draw against Spurs and lose at Man City a week later, they're probably going to be seven points behind and I think that would be it. I know there are 30-odd games left but I just can't see how they make up the seven points.

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"I was very bullish last year saying Arsenal would definitely win the North London Derby but I'm not so sure this season - and it's a game they can't afford to lose in the title race."

Arsenal are currently third in the Premier League, sitting two points behind Liverpool and Manchester City after a 1-1 draw with Brighton last month.