Paul Merson has revealed that he’d be shocked if Arsenal didn’t go on to win the Premier League title from the position that they’re in.
The Gunners sit pretty at the summit of the English top flight, four points clear of second-placed Bournemouth after nine matches.
Mikel Arteta’s team strolled past Crystal Palace on the weekend, in what was another routine, defensively resilient display.
Conceding just three goals so far in the league, Arsenal are now firm favourites to win the title, with many pundits now backing them to do so.
Paul Merson says he’d be ‘flabbergasted’ if Arsenal don’t win the league
Arsenal now sit seven points ahead of Liverpool and six ahead of Manchester City.
They don’t look like conceding goals, while their attack is producing just about enough to win them games consistently. Thus, it seems as though Arteta’s side will simply waltz to the title.
Ally McCoist is confident Arsenal will win the league, and he’s not the only one who now no longer sees any other outcome as plausible.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Merson said he’d be ‘flabbergasted’ if the Gunners now don’t win the piece of silverware that has eluded them for so long.
“I saw that last Wednesday, watching Atletico Madrid at the Emirates,” he said.
“Once Arsenal got that lead, it was the end of the game, and Atletico knew it. That’s the feeling you have with Arsenal now. Teams are not even getting a shot. The numbers they are producing defensively are unheard of.
“They are well-drilled, efficient and they do have flair players that can create and score goals, just like Mourinho’s Chelsea did. I’d be flabbergasted if Arsenal didn’t win the league.
“People will say there are 30 games left but we are only a once-in-a-season strike from Dominik Szoboszlai from asking the question: ‘Who beats Arsenal this season?”
Who are the most realistic challengers to Arsenal?
There is currently a seismic gap between Arsenal and the rest.
Not a single other team comes close to them, with all the sides that are expected to compete struggling with various issues.
Before the season started, Liverpool were favoured by most to win the league, but now they simply don’t look good enough. Arne Slot’s side are struggling to cope with the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was imperative to their ball progression, while their new assortment of attacking players haven’t gelled yet.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  ArsenalArsenal | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 22 |
| 2 |  BournemouthBournemouth | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| 3 |  TottenhamTottenham | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| 5 |  Manchester CityManchester City | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 16 |
| 6 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 16 |
| 7 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 15 |
The Reds also now look feeble defensively, with their full-backs struggling and their centre-backs overburdened.
Chelsea are likely already out of the race, while the likes of Sunderland, Tottenham and Bournemouth are unlikely to sustain their form.
City are clearly the most realistic challengers, although their reliance on Erling Haaland will be a huge concern for Pep Guardiola. The Norwegian has scored 65% of their goals so far this season, a staggering amount which will depend on him remaining fit and continuing to play at an absurd level.
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