Merson: Drop That Arsenal Star Before Spurs - And Don't Bank on Winning the League

Paul Merson has called for Mikel Arteta to axe an underperforming Arsenal player ahead of the North London derby, following what he branded a catastrophic showing against Wolves that has left the Gunners' title hopes hanging by a thread.

Arsenal's collapse on Wednesday—surrendering a two-goal advantage to bottom-placed Wolves—comes on the heels of a frustrating 1-1 stalemate with Brentford. The damage is done: Manchester City now hold the Premier League destiny in their hands, with Pep Guardiola's outfit hosting Newcastle on Sunday evening before Arsenal travel to Spurs the same day.

The timing could hardly be worse for the Gunners. Tottenham's new caretaker boss Igor Tudor takes charge for the first time after replacing Thomas Frank last week, with his side precariously positioned just five points clear of the drop zone. A victory over Arsenal would represent a seismic statement—both a potential lifeline for Tudor's survival mission and a hammer blow to the Gunners' title ambitions.

Yet Merson remains convinced Arsenal will get the job done, albeit with reservations about their current trajectory.

"It was one of Arsenal's worst ever games against Wolves," Merson told Sportskeeda. "There were no patterns of play and they never looked like their usual self."

The pundit's primary gripe centres on Arteta's tactical setup. Merson was baffled by the absence of Eberechi Eze in his natural number ten role—the very position he was signed to fill—with Bukayo Saka deputising instead. For Merson, that's a square-peg-in-round-hole scenario: Saka is a winger, not a playmaker.

Noni Madueke drew particular criticism. Described as "very hot and cold," the right-sided option oscillates between moments of brilliance and head-scratching decisions. Merson expects Arteta to shuffle the pack, potentially moving Saka back to the wing and introducing Eze as an inside forward against Spurs. "Eze has to play as the No.10 against Spurs," Merson insisted. "He's good in tight spaces and is better than Saka in that role."

Despite the concerns, Merson's prediction tilts towards an Arsenal victory—but only just. "I'm expecting Arsenal to win and will go 1-0 but I won't be shocked if they failed to either. It just seems like they can't open teams up anymore."

The broader picture is grimmer still. Manchester City's stranglehold on the title is now absolute. "It's in Manchester City's hands now," Merson noted. "If they win every game from now, they win the league title. Three weeks ago, you could have never thought it would be this way."

For Arsenal to retain hope, they need victory at Tottenham coupled with Newcastle pulling off a shock at the Etihad—a scenario Merson deems highly unlikely. "The way everything is playing out in front of us, it's not looking good for Arsenal. Imagine leading 2-0 and then conceding a draw against Wolves, that is worrying."

Newcastle's comprehensive dispatching of Qarabag does at least allow Eddie Howe to field his strongest XI against City. Still, Merson holds no illusions: "Even then, I don't think Newcastle have a chance though."