Paul Merson has admitted he is 'half-scared' that his confident Premier League title prediction for Arsenal may backfire after the Gunners dropped two more points in a 2-2 draw at Wolves. The Arsenal legend had declared in mid-December that the title was as good as won, when the north London side held a comfortable lead and Manchester City were struggling.
Back-to-back draws against Brentford and Wolves have allowed City to close the gap, with Pep Guardiola's side now able to move within two points of the leaders if they win their game in hand. Merson, speaking on Sky Sports, referenced a comment by former captain Patrick Vieira who said it was 'now or never' for Arsenal before the Manchester United game. 'I'm starting to think that,' Merson said. 'I was very bullish about Arsenal winning the league but that's half-scared me tonight.'
Arsenal let a 2-0 lead slip at Molineux, feeding into doubts about their ability to close out matches. Merson acknowledged the criticism that will follow: 'It's going come on full blast now, being bottle jobs, melting.' Manager Mikel Arteta defended his side, saying: 'Too many things went wrong one after the other. It's best not to judge it. We are all too emotional about it.'
The result means City now control their own destiny; if they win all remaining games, including the clash at the Etihad against Arsenal, they will claim a fifth title in six years. Arteta’s side face a north London derby against Tottenham this weekend, with their title hopes hanging in the balance.
