‘Magic Man’ Paul Merson returns along with his newest column, the place he explains why he expects Manchester United to get one thing towards Liverpool’s new “safer” fashion on Sunday.
United have received two of their final three video games on residence soil towards Liverpool, and kick-started their season in Erik ten Hag’s first yr in cost of their third sport towards the Reds – one thing they are going to hope to do once more.
Arne Slot has loved an ideal opening two video games as Liverpool supervisor, comfortably seeing off Ipswich and Brentford, however the Tremendous Sunday sport, dwell on Sky Sports activities Premier League, represents simply the largest problem of his burgeoning Anfield profession.
Discover out why Merse thinks Man Utd will likely be higher suited to taking part in towards Slot’s Liverpool than his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, and why the subsequent three Premier League video games will “define” Arsenal’s season by the top of September…
Man Utd will get a outcome towards ‘secure’ Liverpool
That is it – an enormous, large soccer match. Liverpool need to go to Man Utd and get a outcome and when you’re a Man Utd fan, it is a last cup last, a cup last. The one factor we query about Man Utd over the previous couple of years is consistency. I assumed they did alright towards Fulham, they performed some good soccer.
Towards Brighton they had been unfortunate, the disallowed aim hits his knee, however they should not have misplaced that soccer match. You come away from there with a minimum of a draw.
I do not see Man Utd dropping this sport. I believe Man Utd trigger Liverpool issues, I believe it will be an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Liverpool are a special staff now. They are not going to play the Klopp means. The supervisor has are available along with his personal concepts and he is extra stable, he is extra regimented, they’re secure, and so they’re extra cautious on the identical time.
They have nice gamers up entrance the place the supervisor goes, ‘you get on with it and win us the sport and we’ll be certain we’re stable on the again’. Man Utd do not need a gung-ho sport.
This performs into Man Utd’s palms that Liverpool will come and play slightly bit safer. If this will get into an end-to-end soccer match, Liverpool have extra of a menace and doubtless have higher gamers all around the pitch.
So for me, that is the place I believe it performs into Man Utd’s palms slightly bit extra with the way in which Liverpool will play.
I nonetheless assume it will be an entertaining sport – there’s an excessive amount of expertise going ahead on this pitch for there to not be objectives.
Subsequent three video games will outline Arsenal’s season
They’ve had a tough, onerous begin, Arsenal. This fixture pc, the subsequent three video games – they’re are defining video games of the season for Arsenal.
You are speaking Brighton who’ve received each video games and on their day can go it round and have a proper go at you and do particular issues.
Then you definitely’ve acquired Tottenham away and Man Metropolis away. They lose two of these soccer matches out of three, and even win one and draw two, they are not far out of the title race already.
That is how ruthless it’s.
Man Metropolis put up numbers, we all know Man Metropolis completed strongly. You do not wish to be going to Man Metropolis in a couple of weeks on Tremendous Sunday and have to win the sport to remain in contact.
So these subsequent two video games are large for Arsenal. I believe they beat Brighton, however for a sport that in all probability at first of season appeared a pleasant one, it is turn into a tough sport. A tough sport.
They should get by way of that, and they should get three factors as a result of they want to stick with Manchester Metropolis for my part.
They should keep on their coat-tails and after the worldwide break, you could not choose two tougher video games for me, Tottenham away in an enormous north London derby, after which the next week Man Metropolis away on the Etihad.
You lose each of them and you could possibly be six factors behind Man Metropolis. That is too many already. Sorry, folks may go there’s 30-odd video games left, but when Man Metropolis misplaced three extra video games, that may solely give us a chance to lose yet one more.
It is a large, large, large, large few weeks developing for Arsenal.
Consistency stays the large query for Chelsea
Chelsea’s win at Wolves was all the way down to sensible ending, some sensible ending, sensible counter-attacking soccer. Wolves had been horrible. I do not wish to be a celebration pooper and I do not wish to be a Chelsea fan – you do not wish to be flat-track bullies.
That the week earlier than they did not lay a glove on Man Metropolis, did not lay a glove.
They completed final season beating West Ham, Brighton and Forest. However a few weeks earlier than that they had been getting smashed at Arsenal by 5. That is the benchmark.
That is what I say about Chelsea. It is consistency, it is consistency. And that is what they should do, beat Palace this weekend, after which once they begin taking part in the large boys. They have an excellent begin to the season.
They have some actual good fixtures, however’s it is consistency. Madueke acquired an excellent hat-trick. Actual, actual good finishes, hitting them onerous and low down on the goalkeeper’s ft, and he was superb.
He is acquired to do this once more this weekend, and that is what it is all about. It is being constant. It might’t be 9 out of 10 one week and a 4 out of 10 week after.