Paul Merson has boldly predicted that Liverpool will claim the Premier League title if they secure a victory over Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.
Arsenal, currently in second place, can temporarily close the gap by beating West Ham on Saturday, reducing Liverpool’s lead to five points.
However, Merson insists it won’t make a difference if Jurgen Klopp’s side restores their advantage with a crucial win over City.
The Gunners have fallen just short of the title in the last two seasons, narrowly losing out to City both times. Their wait for a Premier League crown, which dates back to 2004, could be prolonged if Merson’s forecast proves accurate.
Reflecting on City’s performance in their recent Champions League clash against Real Madrid, Merson was unimpressed. “It was an embarrassing night at the Bernabeu,” he told Sportskeeda.
“If you didn’t know it was City, you’d never believe they were the defending champions. At times, it was unwatchable they were completely off the pace.”
Merson expects Liverpool to capitalize on City’s struggles. “I think Liverpool will rip them apart. City looked slow against Real Madrid, and against Liverpool’s high-energy play, they won’t cope.”
He suggested Liverpool should start Diogo Jota alongside Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah, allowing Jota to drop deeper and create space for his teammates.
Merson also downplayed Erling Haaland’s potential absence, claiming that even if the Norwegian plays, Virgil van Dijk will be more than capable of handling him.
City’s recent signing Nico Gonzalez failed to impress against Madrid, looking sluggish, while Omar Marmoush barely made an impact. “I felt bad for Marmoush he needs to play alongside Haaland to be effective,” Merson added.
A Liverpool win, Merson believes, would effectively end Arsenal’s title aspirations. “If they beat City, I can see them taking care of Newcastle and Southampton.
That’s 13 points from 15 against top teams. That’s the mentality of champions.”
His final prediction? Manchester City 1-3 Liverpool.