Paul Mersonās former club Arsenal visit Chelsea on Sunday (Pictures: Getty)
Paul Merson has made his prediction for the āmassiveā Premier League clash between Chelsea and Arsenal this weekend.
Leaders Arsenal travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday looking to not only get one over their London rivals but also maintain their top-point gap over defending champions Manchester City.
After a brilliant start to the season, Arsenal suffered a slight wobble last month as they dropped points against Southampton and lost to PSV in the Europa League.
But Mikel Artetaās side looked back to their brilliant best last weekend as they thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are going through their first sticky period under Graham Potter, only picking up two points from their last three league games.
The Blues, who are currently 10 points behind Arsenal, suffered a shock 4-1 defeat to Potterās former club Brighton at the weekend.
āThis is a massive game for both teams, for different reasons,ā Merson wrote in a column for Sportskeeda.
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āIf ArsenalĀ win, they will go 13 points clear of Chelsea. Letās be realistic now ā Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea arenāt talking about winning the Premier League title. The title race is over for them, and theyāre looking for a top-four finish.
āIf Arsenal win this game, theyād have to lose five football matches for Chelsea to catch them, and thatās if Chelsea donāt lose themselves.
āThis is a big game for Arsenal, and theyāll need to avoid defeat. They need to make sure theyāre not flat-track bullies.
āIf Arsenal donāt lose this match, youād expect them to be in the running for the Premier League title for a long time.
āIām not sure whoās going to play for Chelsea this week. We all know what Arsenal team is going to play, and thatās why theyāre at the top of the Premier League table.
āTheyāre playing the same team every week, and itās working a treat ā fair play to Arteta. Arsenal need a big squad and it does look like theyāll go deep into multiple competitions.
āTheyāre at the top of the Premier League table, and theyāre doing well in the Europa League. Arsenal need to keep players like Kieran Tierney in their squad.
āRaheem Sterling is not a wing-back. Itās a really hard position to play in, and you canāt just put anybody there. Graham Potter got it horribly wrong last week.
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āGreat wing-backs donāt get the credit they deserve ā they take one full side of the pitch and theyāve got to go up and down. Raheem Sterling is as much of a wing-back as I am a goalkeeper.
āArsenal are flying in the Premier League at the moment, and they donāt need the World Cup rest. Theyāre on a roll and they were outstanding against Forest.
āI think this match will end in a 1-1 draw, and thatāll be a good result for Arsenal.ā
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‘This is a massive game for both teams, for different reasons.’Ā