Arsenal critic tips surprise big win against Man United

Paul Merson has tipped Arsenal to earn a dominating win over Manchester United this weekend.

The Gunners have their work cut-out as they look to finish inside the top-four of the Premier League, and earn a spot in next season’s Champions League competition.

A loss this weekend at home to United would leave them all-but assured of failure in their bid to climb back inside those CL qualification spots, but Jose Mourinho has hinted at playing a weakened side on Sunday.

The Portuguese tactician has claimed to be prioritising the Europa League competition, where his side are three matches away from lifting the trophy, which would in-turn earn them a place in the elite European competition.

Paul Merson has now described Arsenal as ‘certainties’ for the win, despite usually being ever-critical of his former side.

He said: ‘Arsenal are certainties in my opinion, It’s all about timing at the end of the season and this game is perfect timing for the Gunners.

‘United could win their next four Premier League games 5-0 and still finish fifth in the league. On the other hand, they might only have to win two Europa League games to qualify for the Champions League. I don’t see anything but wholesale changes for Jose Mourinho for this game.

‘The wholesale changes put severe pressure on Arsene Wenger. They will be playing a second string side in my opinion and if they can’t beat an under-strength Manchester United, huge pressure will be put on the Frenchman. He would probably prefer to be playing United’s first team.

‘I’m backing Arsenal for a big 3-0 win and before Manchester United fans go ballistic I’m only backing that result because of my theory. If it was different I’d back the draw because Mourinho can get a draw at will.’

Is Merson’s backing a curse we could do without? Surely Mourinho won’t really play a weakened side?

Pat J

Tags Arsenal Man United

19 Comments

  1. We will lose as usual or draw if lucky…mourinho will park the bus

    We cant even beat moyes and van gaal’s united when everyone is having a go at them…

    1. Have faith boy.

      Even in this situation when our top 4 at risk, we must stay behind the team.
      Support our players and if we lost at least give the players empathy, not just all booing and insults.

  2. Can’t see jose losing 3-0 or even losing. He is too smart to let Wenger have the last laugh. Martial mata will be fresh and will be itching to prove the manager that they are ready. Pogba for all his critics looked lethal and will be ready to play.

    Although jose may have not wonders with united this season but what he has done is create a strong mentality. Th ere is a reason they are not easy to be beaten. I was talking to my real madrid friend and he said the same thing. He said people underappreciated José’s work at real madrid. There was a time when barca completely were dominating the league but jose created that mentality and made them feel big. He is doing the same with Manchester united.

    We cannot afford to lose this one. Anything less than a win will be a loss. Although I am not too optimistic .

    1. Man utd are not exactly trending upwards are they? which they are not. The days of winning titles and champions league are long gon. They are even struggling to qualify again. They are throwing unbelievable amounts of money at it in transfers (something arsenal can’t do) and are not any closer than when they were managed by van gaal and moyes.
      Mbappe probably had a look at the arsenal blogs on line and read English newspapers and listened to pundits on TV and came to the conclusion that signing for Arsenal would be the most depressing experience of his life. Why would any top class talent, and he is the best out there in my opinion, want to play for a club with such a moaning, whining, pathetic fan base as Arsenal. Very sensible errr. Go and play for a team like spurs or Liverpool, who have not won the league in 84 years combined, and enjoy the backing of the fans, enjoy your football, enjoy the backing of the media of these clubs who would have loved to have won the fa cup (possibly) 3 times in 4 years. Sign for Arsenal, No chance, with so many moaner fans.

      1. Settled fans like you Jembutarsene who dine and rejoice at the table of mediocrity are exactly the problem at this club. You’d even go as far as to blame the fans for lack of signings before turning to your perfect Wenger who decides deadline day is when to start doing business and haggles over 2-3 million ..hell even 1 pound and messes up transfers. Mbappe probably won’t come to Arsenal, not because of moaning fans but because of an incompetent manager who has continuously destroyed careers of promising players.

        1. The fans need to accept that even the first crop could get burnt from pressure or expectations or injuries or heads turned. it might be the case for the second as well. will you wait? can you wait? do you have the stomach for it? Secondly come all the other issues which are on backscene level but fundamental for any front you wish to put up. We know and can see for years the refs dont play arsenal fairly. what is the club doing about that? do we expect players to be supermen and beat the refs too? in that case we need stronger profile of players. do we have the balls as a football club to expose pgmol or f.a or sky? or do we shut up and tow the line and let wenger take all the blame?

          Fans dont know how to act big, board does not know how to act big. The only figure in arsenal the last 20 years that knows/understands football and its financial impications is Wenger. our greatest asset and the only thing i can agree with usmanov is that we have used his best years for a miserable austerity task for which the rest of owners/board were happy to watch him run it prudently but without facing to the reality that at some stage they will need ot back him aggressively either in transfers or with media/refs.

          So stop your irritating judgement of other fans who disagree with you and actually care about the club and not just moaning endlessly like a knob.

          1. I don’t think you care about the club actually.
            You are a complacent prawn sandwicher, that’s what you are. And you are a Ty.
            Are refs guilty for the following results?
            2015/16: Sunderland away 0:0, Crystal Palace home 0:0, Swansea home 1:2, Southampton away 4:0, Norwich away 0:0, West Brom away 2:1, West Ham home 0:2?
            That’s at least 16 points we lost right there.
            Those results are the only reason we conceded the title last season. At least half of those results are our manager’s fault and none of them are our “moaning fans” fault.
            Also the “moaning fans” didn’t address the public saying that the titles are a distant second to revenue, just what our beloved owner Satan K said. You reckon that might be the reason top players are reluctant to join Arsenal?
            Keep on derping, you derpy derp.

            1. Sometimes reading certain comments like yours, I wonder for the sanity of some of d!mwit like yourself. Actually I don’t , but you get the point!

              Please enlighten us on your great success in life ,of your bussness acumen and the great deals you have done.
              Like other says , take over the club with that spare billions that you have, and takes us all on the greatest ride of our lives!
              Wheeeeee?

  3. Hard to “expect” a win under any circumstance these days. Even vs Sunderland don’t know if I’d “expect” a win. Could the team surprise us, show up and play a good game? Of course and I hope so. But Wenger’s miserable track record vs Mourinho, even if they play a weaker side, plus our inconsistently pathetic form does not give me much hope for optimism. How does Merson expect us to score 3 goals?? Our offense does not seem capable of doing much of anything, let alone put 3 past De Gea and a parked bus Man U side. We’ll see though..

  4. There are three things telling me that Arsenal will lose this game and it’s mainly because I don’t think we will score a goal.
    1. Wenger has never beaten Jose in a PL match.
    2. Man U defence has been pretty good this year.
    3. Arsenal has struggled against teams that play a structured and defensive game.
    They will park the bus and we aren’t good enough to break them down while our defence has been poor.
    I hope I’m wrong and we win this one but I’m not confident.

  5. The mind games:
    Wenger vowing to make peace with Mo, which will start off with a half heart pat on Mo’s back, followed up with a full time snub with a few spats sandwiched in between. ??

    Mo vowing to rest players for this game is a load of you know what and when you looked at his subs bench against Celta Vigo on Thursday night, it indicated that De Gea, smalling,Mata and Rooney were all rested for Sunday’s game. Oh and Rashford got injured, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be fit to face us. Utd ended up winning 1-0 and I’m sure that they will be very confident in progressing to the final, therefore fielding their strongest possible team against us.

    It’s a do or die game for our champions league hopes and what with Wenger’s (separate) poor league records against Mo and Utd, this sure looks like being double trouble for us poor Gooners.?

    Let’s hope That Walcott organised a players meeting, like in the last time when we whipped them 3-0

    1. That means our Arsene is a classy and respected man, is he, eh fatboy gooney?

      He will not let his reputation and honor being dragged down by an angry jealous zealot in the form of despicable human being named Josa Moo.

  6. Merse was out on Perry Groves stag weekend in London when he made that statement….he was obviously sh*traced at the time…

  7. Goalless draw and nothing else. They’re stunted, we’re blunt, plus Arsenal can’t score against parked buses, recent history proves that.

    1. Recent history proves that Arsenal won 3-0 against van gaal’s manure.

      We still might win because Josa Moo will field the weakened side.

      Have faith, woman.

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