Paul Merson believes Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger should resign from his post if the Gunners come unstuck to Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon. Writing in his Daily Star column, the former Arsenal midfielder says Spurs are now the better side of the two, and victory for the visitors would be such a statement of intent going forward.
“I remember when you never expected Spurs to get much out of these games, and you knew they’d still finish below Arsenal at the end of the season. Not anymore. I haven’t spoken to a single Arsenal fan who fancies them to win. It has swung so massively in Tottenham’s favour it’s embarrassing,” he said.
“If Arsenal lose, that should be it for Wenger. Spurs haven’t spent millions, and they’ve still left Arsenal behind. There’s no denying who the better team is. That’s why this is such a big game. The top four looks like a distant memory for Wenger. He needs his players to show up. I don’t see how he stays in a job otherwise.”
Ahead of the game David Seaman and Tim Sherwood took part in the TAG Heuer Pressure Test Debate and the pair insisted the Gunners have to pick up three points to keep their top four hopes alive.
Arsenal come into this afternoon’s North London derby off the back of two games without a win – having drawn in the Europa League to Red Star Belgrade before suffering defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League. The Gunners are currently sixth in the Premier League table with 19 points from a possible 33, having suffered four losses already, and defeat could see them fall seven points behind Tottenham.
As for the visitors, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are third in the division with 23 points from 11 games, having won five of their last six games ahead of their trip to the Emirates Stadium. In all competitions, Tottenham have enjoyed wins over Real Madrid in the Champions League and a win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League, so it’s not hard to see why so many people fancy an upset.
And while Tottenham have gone four games unbeaten to Arsenal in head-to-heads, winning their most recent encounter, the Lilywhites have a terrible record as the away side. Spurs have managed just one win away to the Gunners since 1993. Although they have drawn their last three at the Emirates, so they’re proving hard to beat regardless.
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