Paul Merson has identified the sport he believes will resolve the Premier League title race as Arsenal and Manchester City battle it out.
The Gunners, chasing a primary league title since 2004, regained their place at the highest of the table with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle United.
Arsenal had lost back-to-back league games before returning to winning ways against struggling Newcastle courtesy of Eberechi Eze’s early goal.
Mikel Arteta’s side are once more three points ahead of second-placed Man City, who’ve a game in hand.
Arsenal’s final 4 Premier League fixtures are against three London rivals in Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace, and already-relegated Burnley.
Marco Silva’s Fulham visit the Emirates Stadium on the weekend and Merson believes Arsenal will go on to clinch the title in the event that they win that game.
An Arsenal victory on Saturday would send the Gunners six points clear ahead of Manchester City’s next league game against Everton on Monday week.
‘If Arsenal win next week against Fulham at home, Arsenal will win the league,’ Merson confidently said on Sky Sports after the Gunners beat Newcastle.
‘That’s what I feel. I’ve said all season that they’ll win it. It’s getting tight, but I feel in the event that they can go six points clear… Everton away is a difficult game for Man City when six points behind.’
Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp added: ‘I feel it’s 50/50. I genuinely consider that.
‘Anything could occur. We’d get right down to a situation with goal difference. We see the pressure.
‘I watched Man City against Burnley on Tuesday night and there was a bit little bit of pressure of their performance. Anything can still occur.’
Arsenal had lost 4 of their last six games before the much-needed win over Newcastle, including a painful defeat to title rivals Manchester City.
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‘It was significantly better,’ Arteta said after watching his team edge out Newcastle. ‘We all know what’s at stake.
‘The margins are really small. We began the sport rather well, scored a stupendous goal. I loved the personality of the players.
‘We were so disciplined without the ball, we only conceded one likelihood. We are able to miss probabilities nevertheless it is how the team reacts immediately and the trouble that we put in.’
Asked concerning the atmosphere within the Arsenal camp in the times following their defeat to Man City, Arteta added: ‘We had an enormous reset.
‘I sensed a change in energy within the dressing room. We enjoyed what we needed to do and now we play the Champions League against Atletico Madrid within the semi-final which is incredible.’
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice added: ‘I feel we said after last week that we’ve to win five games if you need to win the Premier League.
‘That’s one down and now 4 to go. It was about winning regardless of how we win. It’s exciting times. There’s rather a lot to play for.’
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