Merson claims victory on Sunday 'takes Liverpool out of the equation for Arsenal'
Paul Merson believes Arsenal will finish ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League this season if they beat Jurgen Klopp's side on Sunday.
The Gunners lead the Premier League with seven wins from their first eight games after beating rivals Tottenham 3-1 in the North London derby last weekend.
Liverpool, meanwhile, sit ninth in the Premier League table and are currently 11 points behind Mikel Arteta's men, who they face on Sunday.
And Merson believes that if Arsenal extend that gap to 14 points at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, it will prove too difficult for Liverpool to recover.
Merson told Sky Sports: "I always thought Liverpool's game this weekend was going to be tougher than Tottenham's game for Arsenal.
"It becomes even more difficult now because of the way Liverpool are at the moment, the way Arsenal are playing, the fans come in with a lot of expectations this weekend to win this game.
"The first goal of the second half did it for Spurs on Saturday, but to be fair to Arsenal they were so dominant 10-11. There were those 10-15 minutes of the first half. -time when Tottenham had chosen the right pass, they could have been in trouble.
"Sometimes with Arsenal they just have to calm him down, calm him down for 10 minutes. They kind of thought that because it was 1-1 they had to open the game and score again, and it doesn't work not always like this. You need a little game management about you.
"Fair play for Saliba, he got knocked off at half-time for France against Denmark the other day, but to bounce back and play so well shows you the strength of the young lad - you would think that 'he's old, but he's not.
"If Arsenal are 14 points clear on Sunday, that takes Liverpool out of the equation for Arsenal. Arsenal's main target is to be in the top four, we've seen what Man City can do, but being in the top four and being competitive, they can't lose that idea or get carried away.
"If they win, they will finish above Liverpool. If Liverpool were beaten three more times during the season, Arsenal would have to lose a third of their games to finish behind them.
"If Arsenal finish fourth it would still be amazing after being out of the top four for so long. But Liverpool have been so competitive with the points they have collected, it's a massive game on Sunday."
p>READ MORE: Arsenal continue to spin the good times and hints at a squad deep enough to compete on all fronts
Paul Merson believes Arsenal will finish ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League this season if they beat Jurgen Klopp's side on Sunday.
The Gunners lead the Premier League with seven wins from their first eight games after beating rivals Tottenham 3-1 in the North London derby last weekend.
Liverpool, meanwhile, sit ninth in the Premier League table and are currently 11 points behind Mikel Arteta's men, who they face on Sunday.
And Merson believes that if Arsenal extend that gap to 14 points at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, it will prove too difficult for Liverpool to recover.
Merson told Sky Sports: "I always thought Liverpool's game this weekend was going to be tougher than Tottenham's game for Arsenal.
"It becomes even more difficult now because of the way Liverpool are at the moment, the way Arsenal are playing, the fans come in with a lot of expectations this weekend to win this game.
"The first goal of the second half did it for Spurs on Saturday, but to be fair to Arsenal they were so dominant 10-11. There were those 10-15 minutes of the first half. -time when Tottenham had chosen the right pass, they could have been in trouble.
"Sometimes with Arsenal they just have to calm him down, calm him down for 10 minutes. They kind of thought that because it was 1-1 they had to open the game and score again, and it doesn't work not always like this. You need a little game management about you.
"Fair play for Saliba, he got knocked off at half-time for France against Denmark the other day, but to bounce back and play so well shows you the strength of the young lad - you would think that 'he's old, but he's not.
"If Arsenal are 14 points clear on Sunday, that takes Liverpool out of the equation for Arsenal. Arsenal's main target is to be in the top four, we've seen what Man City can do, but being in the top four and being competitive, they can't lose that idea or get carried away.
"If they win, they will finish above Liverpool. If Liverpool were beaten three more times during the season, Arsenal would have to lose a third of their games to finish behind them.
"If Arsenal finish fourth it would still be amazing after being out of the top four for so long. But Liverpool have been so competitive with the points they have collected, it's a massive game on Sunday."
p>READ MORE: Arsenal continue to spin the good times and hints at a squad deep enough to compete on all fronts
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