Merson Explains Why Arsenal Are A Threat To Man City In The Champions League

Merson Explains Why Arsenal Are A Threat To Man City In The Champions League. Paul Merson asserts that Arsenal has the potential to emerge as a formidable contender for Manchester City in this season’s Champions League.

Merson’s evaluation follows Manchester City’s impressive performance at the outset of the season. The defending European champions have triumphed in all six of their fixtures across various competitions, including their inaugural Champions League match, where they secured a 3-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday.

The Citizens currently lead the Premier League standings with 15 points earned from five matches and share the top spot in Group G of the European competition with RB Leipzig.

However, Arsenal, returning to the competition after a six-year absence, pose a potential challenge to City’s quest to maintain their grip on the prestigious European club trophy.

“For me, I think the danger would be Arsenal,” Merson, the footballer turned pundit, said on Sky Sports.

“I just think Arsenal’s group is a good group. When it gets down to nitty-gritty over two legs, I just think that would be Man City’s own Achilles heel because anything can happen over 90 minutes.”

The Gunners are set to make their long-awaited return to the Champions League after a hiatus of over six years, with their first match scheduled for Wednesday against PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates Stadium. Following this, they will encounter Sevilla and Lens in Group B.

Given that several of their players have limited or no prior experience in this prestigious tournament, inexperience may indeed play a role in their campaign.

“They’ve got good players with Declan Rice coming in,” Merson pointed out about his former club.

“These are international pros. They’ve played in big tournaments, in European championships and World Cups. For me, those two [competitions] are bigger than the Champions League in my opinion. “

He added: “If they can get through the group, I think they will become a dangerous team. I think Arsenal are one of those teams you won’t want to play. That’s why.”