Paul Merson makes new Premier League title claim amid Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal race
Yesterday at 08:42 AM
Paul Merson has made a new Premier League title race claim after a dramatic day of action in the top-flight on Boxing Day.
Chelsea lost to Fulham at Stamford Bridge in a chaotic west London derby, which saw Rodrigo Muniz score a winner in the 95th minute.
Despite the result, Chelsea remain second, but they will fall behind Arsenal if the Gunners win their game in hand against Ipswich on Friday night.
Liverpool, meanwhile, remain top of the table on 42 points following their 3-1 Boxing Day victory over Leicester City.
Ahead of the next round of games, Merson has appeared to suggest that Chelsea are no longer in the Premier League title race.
‘Chelsea kept sitting back (against Fulham),’ Merson told Sky Sports. ‘Since they have gone second in the league, I don’t know if the nerves have hit them and they’ve got a little bit tight, because against Everton they weren’t great either.
‘It ups the expectation, 100 per cent. Now all of a sudden we’re talking about Chelsea getting top four, whereas before it was, ‘Chelsea are in the title race’.
‘It’s all built up and I just thought they looked nervous (against Fulham). They’ve got too many good players to sit back like that. For me, they are not really a major counter-attacking team.’
Manchester City have won six of the last seven Premier League titles but they suffered another costly result on Boxing Day with a 1-1 draw against Everton at the Etihad.
Liverpool are the only side to have stopped City’s dominance in the English top-flight in recent years, clinching the 2019-20 Premier League title under Jurgen Klopp.
Some pundits are tipping the Reds for glory again this term in Arne Slot’s debut season as head coach, including former right-back Glen Johnson.
Ex-Liverpool and Chelsea star Johnson told Betfred: ‘I think Arsenal will come good – because they've been so consistent for the last couple of years – so I guess that Chelsea will finish third.
‘Arsenal to finish second, Liverpool to finish first and Manchester City to finish fourth, which sounds mad to say, but that's the way I think it'll finish at the moment.’
