Merson: Arsenal Must Win Cup Final Before Quadruple Talk Gets Real

Paul Merson reckons Arsenal can start seriously entertaining quadruple dreams—but only if they get past Manchester City in the League Cup final this Sunday.

The Gunners are mounting what could prove to be their greatest campaign yet. Having won just a single trophy under Mikel Arteta and last claiming the Premier League title back in 2003/04, they've knocked on the door three consecutive seasons without breaking through. This time feels different. They're nine points clear at the summit, facing City in a cup final at Wembley, and harbour hopes in both the FA Cup and Champions League.

City's game in hand threatens to trim that league advantage to six points, though Arsenal remain in a commanding spot regardless. Their remaining cup draws—Southampton in the FA Cup and Sporting CP in the Champions League—represent manageable obstacles on paper.

For Merson, the storyline hinges entirely on what happens Sunday. Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Gunner was emphatic about the scale of this particular hurdle: "This is the hardest game of the lot for Arsenal. This is a one-off football match against serial winners who have been to Wembley before."

He's convinced the domestic league is already Arsenal's to lose. "The Premier League, for me, is done," Merson stated. "A nine-point lead means Arsenal would have to lose two or three games by the end of the season." With Sporting offering two bites at the cherry and Southampton presenting a favourable draw, the path ahead looks surprisingly clear.

Yet the psychological weight of Sunday cannot be understated. Defeat would bring a torrent of headlines and potentially unsettle the squad during the international break—a period when rival players would undoubtedly pile on the pressure. "It could knock the stuffing out of them if they lose," Merson acknowledged, though he stopped short of predicting such an outcome would derail the whole campaign.

Victory, however, changes everything. "If they do win the game, what chance have the other teams got?" Merson posed rhetorically. That's when the quadruple stops being fantasy and becomes genuine possibility. "If Arsenal win this final, you would have to start believing about a quadruple. With the cup draws they've got and the position they're in the league and with the squad they've got, it won't be far off."