Paul Merson, who sees Bukayo Saka, says fourth place within the Premier League is now for Arsenal to lose.
Arsenal scored an exciting 3-2 victory over Watford final Sunday to climb to fourth place on the expense of Manchester United, who performed three extra video games.
Excellent objectives by Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have seen Arsenal win their eighth Premier League title of their final 10 video games, and with matches developing subsequent week in opposition to Leicester and Liverpool – each reside. Sky Sports activities – Merson believes his former group are in pole place to qualify for the Champions League.
Learn on for the newest Skysports.com column for Magic Man…
“The fourth is now shedding Arsenal”
Ending within the prime 4 is unquestionably Arsenal’s loss.
They’ve the video games readily available, and whereas it isn’t the best video games listing on this planet, they play rather well. They should play with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham, however they’re doing nicely.
They nonetheless should get the job finished within the matches we anticipate them to win, however they’re in an incredible place.
‘Watford’s win was like watching Arsene Wenger Arsenal’
It is exhausting to play entertaining soccer like Arsenal did at Watford and never rating objectives on the different finish.
Watford’s first purpose (Kucho Hernandez’s bike kick) you’ll be able to’t cease. The one factor you’ll be able to say is that you could in all probability cease the episodic, but it surely’s an excellent transfer, and the ending is nice. Typically you simply should take a step again and clap. I do know we are able to return and take a look at each purpose from Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday and choose holes within the purpose, find out how to cease it, however typically you simply have to lift your arms and say ‘Nice purpose’.”
Watford’s second purpose (Moussa Sissoko’s late purpose) shouldn’t occur. It is a unhealthy purpose for Arsenal to concede, however let’s be constructive. The three objectives scored by Arsenal have been of a distinct class.
This was the outdated arsenal. It was like watching one among Arsene Wenger’s groups with Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires.
“Tremendous Saka is at his finest”
If you take a look at Bukayo Saka once in a while at Marcus Rashford, it is curious to see how one continues to maneuver ahead, and the opposite again, in the intervening time.
A 12 months or two in the past it was Rashford who was flying, however in the intervening time Saka is making all the appropriate selections. Every little thing he does proper now comes for him. He’s on the prime of his sport.
His participation within the first purpose with Martin Odegaard was excellent, and he took a fast shot to hit Gabriel Martinelli. Then there’s the give and go and the great end of his purpose. All of this stuff present the arrogance he is taking part in with in the intervening time.
Odegaard is now displaying his high quality.
Arsenal had an excellent switch interval. They purchased rather well final summer time.
Everybody who attended has carried out. Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Takehiro Tomiyasu all walked the ground, and the development is there for all to see.
Odegaard has already come to the get together by now.
He’s an excellent soccer participant. I did not actually see it at the start of his time with Arsenal, however I actually see it now. He is a participant who sees issues in a short time and has nice motion. He is an effective participant.
I believe it took some time earlier than he went and settled in life at Arsenal. He might have hoped issues would work out for him at Actual Madrid, however now he is at Arsenal, and he is seen what the membership is, and it is a transfer that has labored for each events.
Arsenal’s endurance at Arteta is paying off
Individuals all the time say about Arsenal that they aren’t the place they need to be, however that does not imply they aren’t a top quality membership. They’re a Rolls-Royce membership they usually have finished an excellent job.
They have been held up by Mikel Arteta and appeared on the total image.
There have been instances once they would have gotten rid of Arteta, then what would they’ve finished? Usher in a short lived supervisor, simply do not go anyplace and get caught?
It took a while, however Arsenal put in a very good efficiency. They purchased gamers for a cause, not only for him.
They specified that they wanted a goalkeeper, a half midfield, a proper again, a quantity 10 and a few group depth, they usually went out and made it occur. Then on the opposite aspect, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shook the boat and instantly there was no fussing. He is out of the membership, so long.
In distinction, you take a look at Manchester United they usually do not go down an analogous path. They’re simply drifting and there’s no change coming, which is de facto unhappy for the most important membership on this planet.
An enormous week forward for Arsenal…
It is a huge week forward for Arsenal with Leicester within the Emirates on Massive Sunday, Liverpool on the town on Wednesday, then they go to Aston Villa early the next Saturday.
Like Arsenal do, they’ve some robust video games developing, and also you take a look at the video games in opposition to Leicester and Aston Villa, those they actually ought to win, however you would not be shocked if Leicester or Villa get one thing. the video games.
Nevertheless, fourth place is within the arms of Arsenal and though it’s a robust week when it comes to schedule, Arsenal will quickly be again to at least one sport every week for many of the remainder of the season.
It was simpler for Arsenal than the remaining as a result of lack of European soccer, exiting the FA Cup early, so we should not really feel sorry for them this week when some groups have been doing it virtually all season.
They’d an enormous benefit, however this week is a take a look at, and an excellent week can go an extended approach to cementing the race for fourth place.
Watch Arsenal’s subsequent two Premier League matches in opposition to Leicester and Liverpool reside on Sky Sports activities. Arsenal host Leicester on Tremendous Sunday (Sunday 13 March, kick-off 4.30pm) earlier than welcoming Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool on the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday 16 March. Match kicks off 8.15pm.