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Football

02nd Oct 2021

Paul Merson says Arsenal could make the Top Four this season

Daniel Brown

It’s a bold claim, Mers!

Paul Merson thinks Arsenal are still capable of finishing in the top four of the Premier League this season.

The London outfit made a shocking start to the campaign, losing their first three games against Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City – conceding nine goals without scoring themselves – which saw them sat bottom of the table.

However, the mood at Arsenal has improved drastically in the past few weeks with the Gunners winning their last four games in all competitions – including a North London Derby victory against rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Having won three games in a row in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s men have moved up to 10th in the table and above Spurs.

Whilst Arsenal have evidently improved in recent weeks, many fans are still sceptical about where they can finish at the end of the season.

Despite this, former Gunners man Merson has suggested that Arteta’s side ‘might’ still finish in the top four and qualify for next season’s Champions League as a result.

Speaking on Soccer Saturday, the 53-year-old was asked whether he thought Aston Villa would finish above his former team – a suggestion that he was very quick to dismiss.

“No, no, no, no, no – Arsenal might finish in the top four yet,” said Merson.

When fellow pundits Michael Dawson and Clinton Morrison asked him if he really thought that, he refused to back down.

He said: “Have faith.”

Although Merson is confident that his former side are capable of finishing in the top four, there will be very few other people that will be backing them to finish above the likes of current champions Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

If Arsenal are to prove the Sky Sports pundit right, they are certainly going to need more performances like the one against Spurs last weekend.

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