Manager Paul Merson has compared Mikel Arteta’s ‘machine’ to the dominating Chelsea team under Jose Mourinho during his first spell at Stamford Bridge, and says there is no stopping Arsenal in this season’s Premier League.
The former Arsenal forward also spoke about Man United’s recent resurgence under Ruben Amorim and his concerns about Liverpool after Arne Slott’s long ball comment.
He also praised Bournemouth and Sunderland for making it into the top four, and revealed why some of the Premier League’s established sides are worried about their futures in the top flight.
Read Sky Sports’ experts’ full thoughts on some of the key talking points from the Premier League after the weekend’s matches…
Merce compares Arsenal to Jose’s Chelsea
I don’t think anyone can stop Arsenal.
They are efficient machines, but there are super soccer players in those machines.
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Free to watch: Highlights of the Premier League victory between Arsenal and Crystal Palace
They remind me of the old Chelsea teams under Jose Mourinho. The match was over the moment Chelsea team took the lead. It was the same play in my Arsenal team. When I scored the goal and went back to the halfway line and looked at my opponent’s face, I knew it was over.
That’s how I felt last Wednesday when I was watching Atletico Madrid at the Emirates. Once Arsenal took the lead, the game was over and Atlético realized that. That’s how I feel about Arsenal right now.
The team can’t even take shots. The numbers they are producing defensively are unprecedented.
Arsenal have the best defensive record in the Premier League
They are well-coached, efficient and, like Mourinho’s Chelsea, have some talented players who can produce and score goals.
I would be stunned if Arsenal didn’t win the league.
People will say there are still 30 games left, but it’s only Dominik Szoboszlai’s once-in-a-season goal that begs the question: “Who will beat Arsenal this season?”
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Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner praises Arsenal’s set-piece skills in their 1-0 defeat at the Emirates
They have the best defensive record in all of Europe, so they don’t need to score multiple goals to win a soccer match.
A goal would go a long way for Arsenal and what a feeling for the forward.
‘Manchester United have turned a corner’
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Free to watch: Premier League highlights of Manchester United vs. Brighton
There is a fine line in soccer.
Luke Shaw pulled his shirt and a good touch from Yankuba Minte earned Patrick Dawg a red card.
Manchester United are gradually reaping the fortune that has eluded them so far.
The big players are also playing well, and you can see that their confidence is coming back.
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Gary Neville said on his podcast that last week was Ruben Amorim’s best performance for Manchester United in wins over Liverpool and Brighton.
Manchester United players weren’t bad players, they just lacked confidence, but they’re starting to play now and it was a good win against Brighton. Last year we lost easily to Brighton so scoring four goals was a great result.
They are now starting to turn a corner.
Although they had won back-to-back games, I was still worried about this game against Brighton. I thought it was a real banana peel to them.
It’s still early days, but this win shows they’re slowly gaining momentum.
“Slot’s comments are concerning.”
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Brentford outclassed Liverpool with a 3-2 victory over the Premier League champions.
I didn’t like Arne Slott’s comments about his inability to handle long balls and low blocks.
They just signed Florian Wirtz for over £100m so they can get past 10 players behind the ball.
he’s a great player. He has a good football mind and is smart enough to unlock defenses, that’s why they bought him.
They no longer have Trent Alexander-Arnold, but he was a big part of Liverpool’s collapse of the team. Wirtz is doing a lot right now, but he’s struggling.
He would never have played against a team like Brentford in Germany. Saturday’s result is less likely to happen in countries like Germany, Spain and Italy, but in the Premier League it is not uncommon for lesser teams to go for three goals against favorites or defending champions.
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Former team suffers from “physical lack” after four consecutive Premier League losses
Things like this don’t happen anywhere else in the world, so it can be a struggle for new players. There are no free matches in the Premier League.
Liverpool also have the best centre-half in the world in Virgil van Dijk. That’s why Slott’s long ball comments are a big concern.
People are now trying to damage Liverpool in that way. The team was looking to get the ball forward and Brentford were very successful.
Liverpool will have to find an answer quickly. They know what will happen in the coming weeks.
“What a story on the south coast.”
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Free to watch: Highlights of Bournemouth’s win against Nottingham Forest
If Bournemouth were a book you’d throw it into the sea. You’ll say, that’s nonsense, that can’t happen.
That’s very far-fetched.
In the summer, they sold three defenders to three of the biggest clubs in the world: Real Madrid, PSG and Liverpool, and finished second in the league.
That’s amazing.
Let’s not forget that their stadium has a capacity of less than 12,000 people. What they are doing is simply unbelievable, especially in an era in the Premier League where players regularly make over £100m. You’d think Bournemouth wouldn’t have a chance.
It’s unbelievable for them to finish second in the league.
‘Sunderland’s head of recruitment deserves a knighthood’
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Free to watch: Highlights of Chelsea’s loss to Sunderland
Sunderland’s recruiter deserves a knighthood.
Granit Xhaka is a buy, but he’s not the only one. Every player that came in was exceptional.
It was the first time I watched the whole Sunderland game on Saturday and the game was great.
When I watched Arsenal play recently, I thought they played a very easy game. But in a few weeks’ time Sunderland will play such a tough game at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland will cause problems for Arsenal. They are a fast, athletic team. They are well-trained, organized and counter with speed. They make the right decisions on the counter and choose the right passes. They didn’t waste it when they had the ball.
I was very impressed with them at Stamford Bridge and I have to say they are safe.
I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on them, but with this start there is no need to worry about relegation. They need four or five more wins in their 29 football games, but I expect them to achieve that easily.
“Some of the established teams in the Premier League are going to panic.”
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Free to watch: Highlights of Leeds vs. West Ham win
Some established teams in the Premier League will panic.
Some club owners will be worried after Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley open the season.
They will think they should have been more active in the transfer market.
they were lazy.
Wolves and West Ham, who are near the bottom of the table, have fallen into the trap. They have thought that there is no point in spending a lot of money because they will not be demoted. The rising sides haven’t been very good in recent years, but that’s not the case this season.
Now they are panicking and many clubs will be sweating in the January transfer window.
However, considering the current state of the promoted team, it may already be too late.
