Manager Paul Merson said Arsenal’s win over Fulham would end their 22-year wait for a Premier League trophy, while Jamie Carragher warned Marco Silva’s side could become a “banana peel” in the title race.
Arsenal take on Fulham live on Saturday Night Football and, thanks to a nervy 1-0 win against Newcastle last time out, move into the top spot with a three-point advantage, leapfrogging Manchester City with a game in hand.
Ebelesi Eze’s star goal in the ninth minute gave Arsenal the perfect start, but they struggled from there and almost conceded two points in the final minute when Ioan Wissa fired home from close range.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Jamie Carragher demonstrates how Arsenal disrupted Newcastle with three successive corner routines that led to Eberechi Eze’s winner
Saturday, May 2nd, 5pm
5:30pm kickoff
Despite Arsenal’s worrying performance, which produced an expected goals value of just 0.49 xG, Merson believes the next league game will be the decisive one in the title race, despite their recent struggles with nerves.
“If we win against Fulham, it’s the league title for Arsenal,” he said on the Premier League Show.
“Arsenal never looked like they were going to score (against Newcastle) and that worries me. “When we were 1-0 up against a struggling Newcastle team, I thought they would kick, but they didn’t.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Paul Merson says Arsenal are ‘nervous’ and will be under intense scrutiny as they aim to win the Premier League
“That’s the problem. Everyone’s nervous. When you get to the end of the season, any mistake and it’s over.
“In the end, they held on. It was a tough game. I don’t mean the football was not good, it was just a tough game because of the nerves.”
“I can’t do it anymore. I can’t come second in the trot four times.”
Carragher: Fulham could become Arsenal’s banana peel in title race
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Jamie Carragher has revealed why he is really worried about Arsenal’s remaining fixtures.
Carragher believes that balancing both European football and the title race could have a big impact in the final stages of the season, warning Fulham could become a “banana peel” at the top of the league four days after playing Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg.
Carragher told Sky Sports News: “If Arsenal keep going like they did against Newcastle at the weekend, I don’t think they’re going to win every game.”
“Arsenal were a bit unlucky with their schedule. They play from Wednesday to Tuesday (in the Champions League).
“People might think, ‘What’s the difference?’ But instead of three games in eight days, we’re playing three games in six days, which is a big difference when you also factor in the fatigue at this stage of the season.
“Can we recover quickly from Wednesday night in Madrid and come back and play against Fulham on Saturday? That’s a big question, but Fulham are a decent team.
“That one draw would feel like Arsenal or Manchester City, it would feel like the league lost.
“I think Fulham are a really good team and could be a real banana peel for Arsenal.”
Carla: Arsenal’s problem is fatigue, not nerves
The Gunners will play four games in 11 days in both the Premier League and Champions League. Meanwhile, City only play two games in the same time slot.
While much of the talk surrounding Arsenal and their title bid in the lead-up to the match against Newcastle had focused on end-of-season tensions and whether they could cope with the pressure, Carragher believes there are bigger issues facing Arteta and his team.
He went on to say on Monday Night Football: “After the win[against Newcastle]I think I’m less confident that Arsenal will win the league than I was after the loss against Man City.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tim Sherwood gives advice to Arsenal as Manchester City continue their push to win the Premier League
“They had some energy last week that I liked a little bit on the counter attack.
“They just needed to win[against Newcastle]so maybe they didn’t care about the football. It wasn’t the nerves that I was worried about. That hasn’t happened in the last few weeks.”
“It’s tiring to watch them. For me, Arsenal are the best team in the league without the ball. And it’s difficult to play against them when they’re at their best. They’re one of the best pressing teams in European football.”
“It was too easy for Newcastle to pass and get to the edge of the box. They couldn’t create when they got there, but it looked leggy to me.
“I remember (Sandro) Tonali and (Bruno) Guimarães in midfield, it was too easy for them to dictate the game and pass.
“I saw Newcastle playing at ease at the Emirates and thought I was going to be worried. It smelled like fatigue to me.”
Watch Arsenal vs Fulham live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event from 5pm on Saturday.
