Title Race Early Exit for Man Utd? Liverpool and Arsenal Challenge Man City, Claims Paul Merson

Paul Merson, in his We column, asserts that Manchester United is no longer a contender in the title race after merely five games. He suggests that only Liverpool and Arsenal have the ability to challenge Manchester City for the top spot on the table. Last Saturday, United suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Brighton. Consequently, Erik ten Hag's team has now lost three matches out of the first five in the Premier League season and currently trails Manchester City by nine points.

Pep Guardiola's treble-winning team remains unbeaten with a perfect record of five wins in the league, giving them a two-point advantage over Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham. On Sunday afternoon, Arsenal and Tottenham will go head-to-head in an exhilarating north London derby, commencing at 2pm.

In contrast, Chelsea's season has started on a less impressive note, with only one victory so far. Their most recent match ended in a goalless draw against Bournemouth on Super Sunday.

Read below for the Magic Man's thoughts...

Man Utd out of the title race already

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Erik ten Hag's Man Utd have lost three of their five Premier League games this season

Liverpool and Arsenal are the only contenders for Manchester City this season.

Liverpool put on a disappointing performance in the first half against Wolves. However, they dominated in the second half and secured a convincing victory. The issue lies in the fact that such a subpar performance would not be acceptable against stronger teams. Playing in a similar manner at the Emirates or the Etihad would result in the game being decided in the first half.

The key is to maintain a close competition with Manchester City. As each game passes, it is crucial to ensure that the gap between the two teams does not exceed three points.

Manchester United currently trail by nine points, putting their chances of winning the league in jeopardy as Manchester City maintains a dominant lead. Unlike other teams, City rarely suffer from losing streaks, making a comeback even more challenging. To illustrate the importance of a strong start, one can refer to Arsenal's struggles last season or recall how Jose Mourinho consistently led Chelsea to victory by commencing each campaign on a positive note.

Previously, the title race typically commenced in December and January, focusing on which team performed the best thereafter. However, Man City has now significantly surpassed expectations. Falling behind is no longer an option.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have yet to find their momentum despite winning four matches and drawing one. This pattern seems to be present amongst all teams, as even Man City is not flawless. Fulham and West Ham both had opportunities against them, with the latter putting them under immense pressure. At one point, West Ham was leading 1-0, but Ederson's exceptional saves prevented them from scoring.

If Arsenal fails to win their upcoming crucial matches against Tottenham and Man City, their chances of winning the league will be completely diminished. Their elimination from the title race could even occur as early as October. Looking back at last season, had Arsenal managed to secure a victory against Manchester City, particularly the home game in February where they had dominated, they would have emerged as the champions.

Jamie Carragher said Brighton worked out how to beat Manchester United. Now it's about how you beat Man City. That's the name of the game for everybody.

I worry for Chelsea, they've won once in an easy start

Heading into the sixth game of the season, Mauricio Pochettino remains uncertain about his optimal Chelsea team. This has become a recurring issue at the club for the past 18 to 24 months, which is cause for concern.

The sheer number of players is overwhelming. If one were to attempt to forecast Arsenal or Manchester City's lineup for the weekend, they might only miss one player if unfortunate. However, if the same was attempted for Chelsea, not a single fan out of a hundred would accurately predict the best team. There is a lack of stability and established method of playing together.

I was puzzled by Mykhailo Mudryk not starting against Bournemouth. I couldn't understand why Ben Chilwell was left out - in my opinion, he should have been given the chance.

However, I must say I am impressed with Nicolas Jackson. He makes excellent runs, although there was one shot in the second half that perfectly illustrated his performance - it hit the stand, showing just how wide it was.

A young lad who previously played in Spain is now leading a team under immense pressure to win matches due to the significant amount of money spent. Personally, I believe it is unfair to expect such results from him and advocate for giving him more time. If possible, Pochettino would remove him from the intense scrutiny.

Concerns arise for Chelsea, as they need to start performing. It must be noted that their opponents thus far, excluding Liverpool on the opening day, are typically lower-ranked teams in the league. While West Ham has shown promising form, teams like Bournemouth, Luton, and Nottingham Forest are likely to fall within the bottom half of the table. It would be surprising if they don't place within the bottom six or seven.

Chelsea have only managed to secure victory in one game thus far - a match against Luton. The question arises as to when they will be able to emerge triumphant in a football game. Personally, I witnessed their performance on Friday Night Football against West Ham last week and pondered which team would be their first conquest.

It is not as if Chelsea had a start similar to Newcastle's; that would explain the situation. In that case, one could think: 'We have already faced formidable opponents, and despite the unsuccessful outcomes, we must now exhibit some encouraging signs.' However, apart from their home match against Liverpool, last season's bottom-half teams filled their fixtures. Therefore, it is imperative for Pochettino to restore cohesion within the team.

I read an article the other day which was about Chelsea being put together to get 100 points in a season. This team won't get 100 points, not even in two, three or four years. They just won't.