Is Merson having a laugh about Arsenal and Chelsea teams?

While I am fully aware that not every Arsenal is as positive about the team and the quality that is available to Arsene Wenger in the Arsenal squad as I am, or as optimistic about our chances of success this season or even this weekend as we travel to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but I nearly spat out my beer when I saw the team picked by the former Arsenal and England midfielder Paul Merson as a combined best XI from the two London rivals.

Just one Arsenal player makes his team and that is Alexis Sanchez, so he is not even going on current form but reputation. Or that is how it looks although Merson explained to Sky Sports that the reason why Laurent Koscielny misses out to the Chelsea trio of Cahill, Azpilicueta and Luiz is because he has been in good form.

Is he having a laugh Gooners? The French centre back has been widely accepted to be one of the best in the EPL for the last few years, but Merson reckons that it is actually the aging and slow Per Mertesacker who is our best defender.

He ignores the impact of our brilliant summer signing Sead Kolasinac on the left of the fleet footed and influential young Spaniard Hector Bellerin on the right and just to add insult to injury he picks our former player Fabregas, who struggles to get a game for Chelsea, ahead of the likes of Ozil and Ramsey.

Alvaro Morata may be a good signing for Chelsea. He certainly has potential but it is way too soon to say, but not for Merson who picks him over the prolific and proven Olivier Giroud as the central striker. Do we really need any more evidence that Merson has it in for Arsenal?

Sam P.

24 Comments

    1. Chelsea 3-0 Arsenal

      This is me being optimistic and rhe best result I think webwill get, so I will be betting on that scoreline.

      Obviously I hope we win, but like one of the previous articles said, we dont have a prayers chsnce in hell.

  1. Godswill you are a muppet, Wenger has seen to that.

    You.must be having a good laugh with that score line.

    1. You can call me what you like.
      I stated what I feel should be the scoreline for me to be happy and you get angry?
      Did I insult anybody? That one hates Wenger as you seem to be (including me) does not mean one should wish the club to go down to spite Wenger.
      Before Wenger there was Arsenal and supporters, after Wenger there will be Arsenal and supporters. We are here on this forum because we claim to be Arsenal fans not Wenger fans. So if I wish my club well under any circumstance it is not your business. So hold your peace boy and take your insult. You can angry if you so wish, it does bother me. I wish Arsenal a win today and after today. Go and hug transformer as we would say in my country.

  2. if i will make a combine XI i think it will be
    courtouis
    azpelicueta luiz cahill
    hector kante bakoyoto alonso
    alexis hazard
    morata
    morata is way better then giroud he have the speed and the ability to dribble and have the physical ability
    today will be the demise of arsenal ?

      1. If form is the factor then where is Welbeck or Ramsey. And if form is the factor, why have Sanchez in or Cahill who has not played much sicne his sending off

      1. Alonso is a better footballer. He creates and scores and is a killer freekick taker. Koli is a great buy. But haven’t seen enough of him to say his better.

  3. I can’t believe we actually made money in this transfer window yet we lack a quality midfielder.

    Iv being trying to think who they should be for this game and the bestbI have I Coq and Jack. I think this is closest to Coq and Caz we got.

    Coq must protect back 3 and let jack play santi role.

    Xakha is too slow and horribly out of form.
    Ramsey is not the striker he thinks he is

    1. I hope for yourself and all WOCs that our team prevails and you are left with no other solution than to go and support a netball team.

      1. Some of those netball players are very sexy and make pretty good viewing unlike Ramsey and Xhaka, at least they know how to play their positions

  4. the fact that you would pick giroud over morata shows you are having a laugh.
    I don’t see in any circumstance that we walk into Stamford bridge and get a result there.

  5. Mers got it just about right imho.
    Kos was (not is) regarded as one of the best but is regularly missing because of injury or a ban. I’m still confident we will win this game though!

  6. Merson compared a team that finished 5th, with the champions. I don’t see anything too wrong with his selections. I personally would have Koscielny ahead of Rudigar, and probably Lacazette ahead of Morata, although Morata has scored more goals so far.

  7. I agree with most of what you say Sam, but we have to be honest as well and Morata is in a different league to Giroud and Ramsey couldn’t tie Fabregas’ shoelaces.

    In fact, Giroud hopefully doesn’t see the playing field because he should only come on as a super sub if we are losing. And I would pick Elneney over Ramsey for this game since we will need some defensive discipline and can’t leave Xhaka exposed which is what Ramsey does. A team with Chelsea’s ability and Conte tactical awareness will punish us as soon as Ramsey starts to leave big holes when he bombs forward.

  8. Why haggle over who has a better team when we shall find out soon? The taste of the pudding is in the eating. As for Merson and his ilk we just have to pity them for their little analytical skills and forgetfulness. In September last year Arsenal completely overran Chelsea in EPL at Emiratrs by winning 3-0. The return leg was won by Chelsea 3-1. However using goal difference Arsenal was on top. Then came FA and Community shield where Arsenal came on top. What then makes some of these people to imagine that Arsenal will be mauled by Chelsea? It is either lack of analytical skills or just playing to the gallery as Merson is fond of doing. Even if Chelsea win this game today, which I doubt, it will be by a narrow margin. Any genuine analyst would go for a draw given the above stats.

    1. @ D Rusa
      Please tell them.
      I will prefer being with Sp*ds fans and know that they are my enemies than some so called Arsenal fans. Tell that a fan will bet for his team to lose to a team they have beaten in the last two encounters. The match is coming up, let’s watch out. I think we should be hoping for Wenger to make the right call on players and then we can see.

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