Arsenal’s Premier League hurdles are coming thick and fast, with the next to clear being Brentford away.
Keith Andrews’ side are notoriously good at home, making Thursday night’s fixture all the more of a thriller.
For Arsenal, the only objective is to win; if Manchester City beat Fulham in midweek, there will only be a three-point gap at the top of the Premier League table.
Chris Sutton thinks Arsenal will beat Brentford, and he’s not the only one to predict another memorable night for the Gunners.
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Paul Merson predicts Arsenal vs Brentford score
Sutton thinks a deflected goal could win the game for Arsenal, and Paul Merson also has a specific prediction.
Taking to his Sports Keeda column, Merson shared his opinion that Arsenal will beat Brentford 0-2, emphasising the importance of the Gunners keeping a clean sheet.
Man City welcome Fulham to the Etihad the day before, and Merson thinks City will win, but subsequently thinks that the contest will reveal the true ‘difference’ between the two title rivals.
“I expect Fulham to score against City, but I don’t expect Brentford to score here; that is the difference with Arsenal,” he wrote.
If you had one message for Mikel Arteta ahead of facing Brentford, what would it be?
Merson was right to share his doubts about City keeping a clean sheet, given that the last time Pep Guardiola’s side faced Fulham, they conceded four goals.
Arsenal are aware of City’s defensive frailties and are even more aware of their own strength in that department.
Merson flagged the difference between the two teams racing for the Premier League title, but for the Gunners, the only focus will be on three points.
Merson thinks Mikel Arteta now has an ‘interesting’ decision to make
The pundit thinks Arsenal will win, but he also anticipates a bit of a selection headache for Mikel Arteta.
Merson’s thoughts for Arteta carry weight, as the Arsenal manager needs to choose between Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres.
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When Jesus starts, he’s not that great, but off the bench, he’s a different animal, which could be said for Gyokeres, too.
Admittedly, it’s quite clear who Arteta should start against Brentford, as Gyokeres’ match-defining brace against Sunderland supports his claim to the starting XI.
Jesus’ skill and maverick-like ways could be an injection from the bench in a tough environment at the Gtech Community Stadium, giving the boss an incentive to change his strikers again.
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