Stunning Arsenal Upset Shakes Premier League, Casts Doubt on Man City's Dominance

Paul Merson analyzes the major talking points from the weekend, discussing Arsenal's 1-0 win against Man City, Tottenham's place at the top of the table, Man Utd's late victory over Brentford, and the intense competition for Champions League qualification. Arsenal's dramatic victory over the reigning Premier League champions halted their discouraging streak of 12 consecutive losses against City. Additionally, it injected excitement into the title race as Pep Guardiola's team suffered consecutive league defeats for the first time since December 2018.

Elsewhere, Man Utd secured a last-minute victory against Brentford, triumphing 2-1 at Old Trafford with two injury-time goals from Scott McTominay. This result has temporarily alleviated the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.

Meanwhile, Tottenham claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win against Luton, keeping them level on points with their arch-rivals Arsenal at the top of the league. Despite midfielder Yves Bissouma being sent off just before half-time, Merson predicts a fierce battle for a top-five finish, which would likely guarantee qualification for next season's Champions League.

I don't buy that Man City are tired - anyone who finishes above them will be champions

Despite the absence of Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, as well as Jack Grealish being on the bench, it wouldn't have been logical to expect them to continuously bombard Arsenal's goal.

However, it is important to remember that Manchester City tends to start the season slowly. Let me be clear, they have just suffered another defeat, but they are the only team in the league capable of winning 13-14 consecutive games after Christmas.

Looking at their squad, it is noticeably larger than that of any other team. Any team that manages to finish ahead of Manchester City this season will undoubtedly be crowned league champions. It is highly improbable for two or three teams to surpass their performance.

However, this outcome was always expected given their recent success in securing the Treble without the inclusion of Rodri. Currently, their performance seems to be lacking cohesion. Nonetheless, I firmly believe that this will change in due time.

I don't believe in the argument that they are tired. Despite having a large squad, many teams have almost two teams, whereas they only have one and a half.

Getting to the top requires determination, perseverance, and a clear goal. Unfortunately, their goal has been stripped away, and now they are left wondering how to proceed.

Beating Man City is vital for Arsenal and a boost for the Premier League!

Securing a victory against Man City, despite their lack of consistent success as starters, is a game-changing accomplishment for Arsenal. This triumph instills a newfound belief that they have the potential to capture the Premier League title. It was crucial for them to avoid a loss, especially considering their previous week's results.

A few weeks ago, you might have pondered on the possibility of Manchester City widening the gap by seven points if they were to win against Arsenal, essentially sealing the fate of Arsenal. Surprisingly, Manchester City emerged victorious in their recent encounter, instilling a newfound confidence within themselves. Had they managed to defeat Arsenal even once last year, they would have undoubtedly clinched the league title. This illustrates the immense significance of their latest victory.

The teams' performance fell short and the game lacked quality, resulting in a stalemate. When two highly talented teams face each other, it is not unusual for the players to execute their roles effectively, making it difficult to witness an outstanding match.

Credit must be given to the defenders from both sides as they performed admirably, successfully preventing their opponents from playing their usual game. However, the game may not have been entertaining for neutral viewers or experts, but it did possess intrigue.

And for Arsenal, it was an unbelievable result. It's also nice for the league as it brings a lorryload of teams into it other than Arsenal.

Chelsea

Arsenal

Saturday 21st October 5:00pm

Kick off 5:30pm

Chelsea Arsenal

It was a remarkable outcome, completely concealing any imperfections! However, one must find a way to conceal those imperfections, and if it involves using polyfilla, it will effectively hide them, although they may resurface again.

It was a poly-filler result, just absolutely covering over the cracks!

Paul Merson on Man Utd's late win over Brentford

You have to begin somewhere, and despite initial setbacks, they persevered and achieved their objective. However, they still need to attain a few more accomplishments before they can be considered legitimate contenders. Nevertheless, credit is due for bouncing back after facing defeat in a few previous matches, including a home loss to Galatasaray in the middle of the week. The pressure is immense as they represent one of the most renowned clubs globally.

Last-gasp Brentford win just a 'polyfilla' result for Ten Hag

The game was quite entertaining! During the initial 15 minutes, I couldn't help but imagine how different it would have been if Harry Kane had been on the field. With the numerous opportunities they squandered, the game could have easily been won by now.

Spurs struggled to find scoring opportunities after conceding the goal. However, credit to them for demonstrating resilience despite being down to 10 players and managing to secure a positive outcome. Although Luton is currently ranked at the bottom, the match proved challenging. Although Spurs offered a few opportunities to their opponents, they ultimately showed determination and revealed a different aspect of Tottenham.

Credit to them, they currently hold the top spot in the league - but can they maintain it? Probably not, but that's not the main issue. If they were to secure a place in the Champions League for the upcoming season, that would truly be an astounding achievement for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur

Fulham

Monday 23rd October 6:30pm

Kick off 8:00pm

We saw a new side to Spurs at Kenilworth Road - but they won't stay top!

Without Arsenal and Man City, the remaining seven teams will vie for the remaining three Champions League spots this season. It will ultimately come down to which team can demonstrate consistent performance, as any of these teams are capable of defeating each other. Man Utd is currently competing for a top-five position. I am particularly impressed by Rasmus Hojlund's ability to score goals, but all of these teams must strive for consistency.

Tottenham Hotspur Fulham

Chelsea's recent performance has been impressive; however, they are now facing an incredibly challenging run of fixtures. If the team can navigate through this difficult period and secure sufficient points, it is undeniable that they would pose a significant threat and have a genuine chance of success.

Despite having a strong performance against top teams, Chelsea struggles against "lesser" teams that play defensively. I have always believed that Chelsea would excel away from home due to their pace on the counterattack, forcing opposing teams to leave their defensive positions. However, when faced with teams that have six or seven players behind the ball, Chelsea finds it difficult to break them down due to a lack of creativity. In the coming weeks, Arsenal will face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and it will be interesting to see their approach. Chelsea has performed well against top teams like Liverpool, who play with an attacking mindset.

Watch Arsenal's upcoming away Premier League game against Chelsea live on We on Saturday October 21 at 5.30pm. It will surely be intriguing as Chelsea's current league position makes them a formidable opponent. Teams will be hesitant to face them because, on a good day, they have the ability to defeat any team. Furthermore, when Raheem Sterling performs at his best, as he did in the match against Burnley, he becomes an unstoppable force.