Arsenal’s defeat by Brighton has made them cautious again and they will not beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League, according to former player and pundit Paul Merson.
Merson believes Arsenal were expected to play with greater freedom after winning the league, but the Brighton result “frightened them” and prompted a return to their previous approach: defending efficiently, conceding almost nothing and relying on one chance to win a match.
That formula delivered victory at Nottingham Forest, although Merson was unimpressed by the performance. Arsenal had most of the possession but, he said, showed so little attacking threat that Forest could simply sit back and wait to be beaten.
“It’s unbelievable how you can have that much of the ball and not look like scoring,” Merson said, comparing Arsenal unfavourably with Arsene Wenger’s teams, who he felt would have produced 30 shots from similar control of a game.
Merson called the display against Forest “as bad as it gets” and said opponents had identified a straightforward way to frustrate Arsenal: defend deep and deny space. He argued that Arsenal’s wingers rarely beat defenders, there are too few runs beyond the ball, the forwards do not hold it up sufficiently and there is not enough movement.
Although he regarded winning while playing poorly as a positive sign, Merson said he had expected Arsenal to be more adventurous this season. He also believes Bruno Guimaraes should play every match because he is the player capable of consistently progressing the ball.
Bayern test will reveal Arsenal’s level
Merson cannot see Arsenal beating Bayern Munich this week and believes Bayern should be prepared to attack them openly, creating a game in which both sides have opportunities.
He described the fixture as a major test of Arsenal’s Champions League standing, particularly because it is difficult to judge the relative strength of Europe’s domestic leagues.
Merson praised Kai Havertz but questioned whether he would trouble Bayern Munich’s centre-backs. He said Champions League winners need an “X factor” and does not believe Arsenal currently have that in Havertz or Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal can still win the league, Merson added, because he feels they often need only one goal to win. In his view, Manchester City usually need two goals in each game to secure victory.
Eze faces different demands
Merson also questioned whether Eberechi Eze will succeed at Arsenal after he was substituted at half-time against Nottingham Forest.
He said Eze would probably have remained on the pitch had he produced the same performance for Crystal Palace, where the attack is built around him. At Arsenal, however, responsibility is shared among Bruno Guimaraes, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, leaving Eze fewer opportunities to influence matches.
At Crystal Palace, Eze may touch the ball 100 times and dictate play. At Arsenal, Merson said, he may have only 25 or 30 touches in which to make an impact.
He cited Eze’s willingness to attempt a nutmeg near his own penalty area for Crystal Palace, even when it resulted in losing possession, as an example of the freedom that changes at a major club.
Merson recalled Eze being substituted at half-time after falling asleep at the far post in Aston Villa’s win last season, when Matty Cash scored. Eze then started only one league game in the next two months.
“He can play,” Merson said, but added that Arsenal’s strong substitutes make it easy to remove him whenever he struggles.
