Arsenal have faced heavy criticism in recent weeks despite being in a strong position.
Many fans and pundits have accused the Gunners of “bottling” the Premier League title. That narrative has grown louder after the defeats in the Carabao Cup final and FA Cup quarter-final.
However, the reality of the situation tells a very different story.
Paul Merson, who has been in title races before, is one of the few who have pushed back against the ridiculous narrative created by some pundits.
Prediction time! What do you think the score will be when Arsenal take on Bournemouth?
Paul Merson hits back at people saying Arsenal are ‘bottling’ the Premier League title
The idea that Arsenal are collapsing under pressure has been widely discussed, but when you actually look at the numbers, it does not really add up.
Yes, the Gunners crashed out of two cup competitions in back-to-back games and then produced a very cautious performance in their win against Sporting CP.
However, to say that they will capitulate and throw away a nine-point lead with seven games to go just feels like a forced narrative.
Merson, who had a look at the numbers, pointed out that Arsenal have actually performed better than Manchester City in the Premier League in recent games.
He wrote on Sportskeeda: “People are talking a lot about Arsenal bottling the league, but over the last five league games, they have won two points more than City!
“So, I don’t think Arsenal are doing that bad, especially with City also dropping points.”
That is a key detail that has been ignored in most discussions, and we are glad to see Merson has used some common sense, unlike a few other pundits.
There is no guarantee that Arsenal will go all the way, but their recent performances don’t mean they will ‘bottle’ it either. Fans should ignore the negativity and have a balanced view like Merson.
🏆👀 I am feeling __% confident that Arsenal will win the Premier League title this season…
Arsenal are still in control of the title race
Arsenal remain nine points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table. City do have a game in hand, but the gap is still significant at this stage of the season.
If the Gunners beat Bournemouth on Saturday, they could extend that lead to 12 points before Pep Guardiola’s men face Chelsea.
That would put enormous pressure on the Sky Blues and could have an impact on their result.
Arsenal are still in control of their own destiny and are in a position where they should be confident of getting over the line.
Some pundits will continue with their agenda-driven narratives, but we’re sure Mikel Arteta will remind his players to just focus on what’s in front of them. That is the right way to go forward.
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