Paul Merson believes Arsenal are the clear favourites for the upcoming Premier League season and perceives no real competition for Mikel Arteta's squad. The former Gunners midfielder is of the opinion that the only team capable of halting the defending champions is Arsenal themselves.
This summer, Arsenal have reinforced their ranks with notable signings including Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis, and Illan Meslier. They've also completed the transfer of Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa. Prior to the Premier League kickoff, Arteta's men showcased their quality by trouncing Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield.
Merson points to the squad depth as a key factor that sets Arsenal apart from their rivals:
I simply don’t see anyone who can stop Arsenal. They will win the championship quite confidently. I don’t see a single weak spot in their positions in the Premier League.
In the Champions League, they might have certain weaknesses, but in the Premier League, they remind me of Manchester City during their dominant phase: two players for every position.
William Saliba and Gabriel are superb, but when Christian Mosquera steps in, you hardly notice Saliba’s absence. Jurriën Timber is injured, but Ben White came on against City and effectively neutralised Jeremy Doku.
At the moment, I just don’t see any teams that can come close to Arsenal. The only team that can beat Arsenal is Arsenal themselves.
Merson is less optimistic about Manchester City’s chances to challenge the defending champions. He believes the departure of Rodri to Barcelona poses a significant setback for Enzo Maresca’s team:
After the Community Shield, I said there’s one thing Manchester City must not do — sell Rodri. And they went and sold him.
I just don’t see how they can compete with Arsenal this season.
There were positive moments in that game, but over 38 fixtures, I don’t understand how they can keep up with Arsenal’s pace.
He also doesn’t see Manchester United in the title race, despite the noticeable improvement under Michael Carrick last season, where they earned 39 points from 17 matches after his appointment. However, the challenge of juggling Premier League and Champions League commitments weighs heavily:
I’m concerned about Manchester United with regard to European competitions. We saw at times last season that their squad is quite thin.
If Bruno Fernandes gets injured, there will be serious worries. Yes, they have Youri Tielemans, but I don’t see a dominating midfield.
Manchester United will have ups and downs, and I don’t expect them to be involved in the title race. It’s still too early for that.
Thus, among the two clubs from Manchester, Merson does not view either as a genuine challenger to Arsenal. He highlights the combination of quality and squad depth as the defining advantage of Arteta’s team, allowing the reigning champions to replace key players without a drop in performance level.
