Paul Merson predicts who will finish higher in the Premier League this season – Arsenal or Chelsea

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Arsenal and Chelsea are neck and neck in the Premier League right now.

The two London clubs occupy third and fourth place after 11 games, and they're separated only by goal difference.

Arsenal have been much better than Chelsea in recent years, but the tables do appear to be turning as the Blues continue to improve under Enzo Maresca.

Arsenal drew with Chelsea in their last Premier League game, and both teams will be looking to get back to winning ways this weekend.

Writing in his column on SportsKeeda, Paul Merson has been discussing Arsenal and Chelsea's performances this season, and he's shared which team he thinks will finish higher his term.

Gary Neville thinks Arsenal will win the league, and while Merson didn't go that far, he did back his former team to finish above Chelsea.

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Paul Merson says Arsenal will finish above Chelsea

Merson shared his verdict on these two teams.

Merson is a Chelsea fan and a former Arsenal player, so he has ties to both clubs here.

The pundit says Arsenal will finish above Chelsea.

"The game against Arsenal was quite even and it shows Chelsea are on the right track under Enzo Maresca. Four years ago, Chelsea would have lost that game after conceding first but they ended up grabbing a point," Merson wrote.

"I would be shocked if Chelsea finished above Arsenal though. Their squad is really young and I doubt they can get third place this season. If they win the Europa Conference League and finish inside the top four, that would count as a successful campaign. It will also make them the first club to win all three European trophies on offer now."

Arsenal's bad luck this season

Chelsea are slightly ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League as things stand, but at these early stages of the season, the table can be slightly misleading.

Indeed, Arsenal have been slightly unlucky this season, and their points tally should perhaps be a little bit higher.

Arsenal have been on the wrong end of a number of refereeing decisions that have affected their season.

Declan Rice's red card against Brighton was controversial, and that's not the only controversial decision Arsenal have struggled with.

Gabriel Jesus’ disallowed goal vs Liverpool was strange, and if any of these decisions went the other way, Arsenal would potentially be higher in the league table.

These things should even themselves out throughout the season, and, ultimately, Arsenal should rise to the top and finish above Chelsea.