Manchester United can make Premier League title statement if they beat Leicester, says Paul Merson | Football News

Manchester United should be taken severely as Liverpool’s important Premier League title rivals in the event that they emerge from their go to to Leicester with one other away win, in response to Paul Merson.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s place got here below scrutiny in November following defeats by Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir, and his facet’s early Champions League elimination intensified the stress surrounding his job.

However United moved as much as third within the Premier League following a chaotic 6-2 win over Leeds final weekend, and Merson believes a seventh successive victory this season away from Previous Trafford on Boxing Day would symbolize a landmark outcome.

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“If United go and win at Leicester, this is able to be an even bigger assertion than beating Leeds 6-2,” Merson informed Sky Sports activities. “If they’ll come away with a win, I might suppose ‘wow’. It will flip my head and in the event that they win they’d be Liverpool’s important rivals.

“I simply suppose with Man Metropolis, afterward within the season relating to the enterprise finish of the Champions League, in the event that they’re taking part in a quarter-final on the Wednesday I am unable to see Pep Guardiola taking part in his strongest workforce on the weekend. The Champions League is the one he desires and Metropolis are already a number of factors behind Liverpool.

“With United, I do not really feel like they have the duvet required at centre-half to win the Premier League at current. You’d most likely say United are Liverpool’s nearest menace, and I would not have mentioned that three weeks in the past.

“Whenever you take a look at the video games Leicester have misplaced this season at residence [against West Ham, Aston Villa, Fulham and Everton], they have been crushed by groups they have been anticipated to have a go at. They have been all video games they have been anticipated to win, so this one ought to swimsuit Leicester, as the sport at Tottenham did.”

Inconsistency the difficulty for Man Utd

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Solskjaer shuffled his pack in opposition to Leeds, handing Daniel James a uncommon begin rather than Mason Greenwood. The tactical alteration didn’t come as a shock to Merson.

“In opposition to Leeds, I did not discover it a shock in any respect to see James taking part in,” he added. “Whenever you play Leeds, you want gamers who’re fast and who’re able to beating opponents as they wish to arrange one-v-one. West Ham did the identical with Stated Benrahma at Leeds, however he wasn’t a starter in opposition to Chelsea. Sure gamers shall be used in opposition to Leeds who aren’t essentially used each week by their golf equipment.

“I might be shocked if James performs at Leicester since you’d usually play Mason Greenwood over him however James is a greater one-v-one participant with higher tempo. Relating to the tighter video games and also you want a purpose, I might play Greenwood. United have gotten the squad, however inconsistency is the difficulty. They went out of the Champions League to RB Leipzig and so they’ve been giving groups a head begin all season.

“United are within the hunt however they’ve not performed properly. They have firepower that different groups simply have not received. However individuals are speaking about Scott McTominay as if he is the following Roy Keane abruptly. They’ve simply performed Leeds. If they might decide one workforce to play every week, it will be Leeds. They should be producing these performances on a constant foundation.

“Leeds will make their very own possibilities. They’d make them in the event that they have been taking part in in opposition to Bayern Munich, however no facet will not make possibilities in opposition to Leeds after they play gung-ho soccer. Leicester shall be utterly completely different. This shall be a tough sport for United as Leicester will not come and have a go.”

Man Utd’s upcoming fixtures

• Dec 26: Leicester A
• Dec 29: Wolves H
• Jan 1: Aston Villa A – stay on Sky Sports activities Premier League
• Jan 9: Watford (FA Cup third spherical)
• Jan 17: Liverpool A – stay on Sky Sports activities Premier League
• Jan 20: Fulham A

‘I might be shocked if Arsenal beat Chelsea’

United’s go to to the King Energy Stadium is a part of a busy Premier League fixture schedule on Boxing Day, which incorporates Chelsea’s journey to Arsenal, stay on Sky Sports activities.

The corresponding fixture noticed Mikel Arteta undergo defeat in his first residence sport in cost as Gunners boss, however one other reverse on the Emirates would improve the stress on his place following a torrid begin to the season.

Arsenal have taken 14 factors from their opening 14 video games – their worst file at this stage of a season for the reason that 1974/75 marketing campaign – and Merson is struggling to see past a Chelsea victory.

He mentioned: “You would be shocked if Arsenal received, and that is the place this has received to. That may’t be proper. I am unable to even make a case for Arsenal profitable. I watched them in opposition to Southampton and I used to be pondering what number of Arsenal gamers would get into the Saints workforce. Burnley went to the Emirates and fancied it, Wolves went there and experimented! They performed 4 on the again which they by no means did earlier than.

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“In fact, confidence is not nice at Arsenal and that may play a significant half. Man Utd look a distinct workforce with confidence, however Arteta wants to return to what introduced Arsenal success – the ways in opposition to Man Metropolis within the FA Cup semi-final, the sport in opposition to Chelsea within the remaining.

“They want to return to that means of taking part in, however he is able now as a younger supervisor new within the sport, he feels he must hold impressing. He has to return to being arduous to beat, utilizing tempo on the counter-attack. For the time being, it appears like Arteta is shying away from utilizing what are seen as destructive ways and is concentrated extra on making an attempt to entertain – it is no good.

“Leeds are just like the outdated Arsenal of the previous eight or 9 years. Arsenal did not win something however everyone liked them since you knew you’d watch a superb sport. Arteta wants to return to what introduced him success on the first time of asking. They beat an excellent Man Metropolis workforce on the time and Arteta wants to indicate the gamers that video and get again to that.”

Chelsea nonetheless looking for the right stability

Chelsea’s personal progress was checked by consecutive defeats away to Everton and Wolves earlier than Frank Lampard’s facet returned to profitable methods at residence to West Ham. Merson has his personal reservations concerning the guests to the Emirates this weekend.

“Chelsea had the prospect to go prime a few weeks in the past in the event that they received at Everton however then two video games later in opposition to West Ham it was a cup remaining,” Merson added. “Had they misplaced to West Ham, they’d have been out of the title race. In three soccer matches you could be out of it. No facet can afford to lose three matches on the trot.

“Chelsea received 3-0 in opposition to West Ham but when they’d received crushed you would not have been shocked. It simply did not look like they’d a plan. It regarded like 11 excellent gamers had been informed to exit and play. It simply does not really feel just like the stability is true there but.

“It is a huge match for each groups. Arsenal are in disarray for the time being. They did alright I felt in opposition to Everton, however they misplaced. That is Arsenal, so it is not adequate to say they did OK. That is what I might say a few workforce you anticipate to be down the underside. It is simply dragging on now. You may’t see something aside from a Chelsea win, and Chelsea aren’t taking part in nice.”

‘Stunning’ Willian might be dropped

This weekend additionally sees Willian face his former membership, however following a promising Premier League debut for Arsenal in opposition to Fulham during which he supplied two assists, the Brazilian has struggled to justify his summer season change from Stamford Bridge.

Merson doubts whether or not the 32-year-old will even be chosen on present type.

“He is been surprising,” the Sky Sports activities pundit added. “I am an enormous fan of Willian and at Chelsea he was unbelievable. At occasions, he was unplayable however he’s a shadow of his former self and I do not know what it’s.

“He is the one one you possibly can ask and once more it should come right down to confidence. I am undecided he’ll play. He is had sufficient possibilities to play, greater than the opposite youthful gamers.

“Arsenal’s big-name gamers have not been performing over the previous six weeks or so and that is the issue Arteta has been having. [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang scored the opposite day, however he is not likely regarded like scoring. His physique language hasn’t been nice, Nicolas Pepe will not be even beginning on a regular basis and Willian simply appears to be like like he is being carried.”

Tierney deserves Gunners captaincy

The Gunners appear to have suffered from a scarcity of management on the pitch with Aubameyang himself admitting he has not been vocal sufficient because the membership captain throughout his current purpose drought and the workforce’s total decline in outcomes.

The workforce additionally suffered within the absence of David Luiz through the losses to Tottenham and Burnley whereas Granit Xhaka’s crimson card within the defeat to the Clarets underlined the ill-discipline levelled at Arteta’s squad.

Merson believes Kieran Tierney has been Arsenal’s most constant performer this time period and deserves to be handed the armband.

“I might give it to Tierney as he’d run by a brick wall for you,” he mentioned. “He is the one participant I take a look at who offers the whole lot, and I might give him the captaincy. There is a means of exhibiting how a lot you care, and the connection he’s constructing with Bukayo Saka down the left appears to be like respectable.

“Arsenal want that throughout the pitch, and for the time being they’re in a relegation battle. For me, I do not see them doing what Burnley are able to, rolling their sleeves up. Arsenal are looking for the right win however they should begin grinding out outcomes.”