Paul Merson believes Manchester City won't win the Premier League title if they continue playing with their current defensive vulnerabilities.

Under Guardiola's management, Manchester City started the season strongly, winning their first five matches after a 5-3 victory against Sunderland.

Going into the three-week international break, Guardiola's side holds a three-point lead over defending champions Arsenal, who suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

Here's how the pundit explains why Arsenal still retain the initiative in this Premier League season.

"Manchester City's defence is a disaster."

Merson said: "I was watching the match and thinking that if Manchester City could deliver a dominant performance and beat Sunderland convincingly, their momentum could change dramatically."

"Arsenal had just suffered a heavy loss, and it was completely deserved. I still thought they would win the title comfortably and not lose many matches. Was I wrong?"

"But then I watched Manchester City against Sunderland, and I thought: 'No, I wasn't wrong. Manchester City absolutely cannot win the title.'"

Merson stated: "You can't always win by scoring spectacular goals; you can't play like that. The best teams will exploit your weaknesses."

"Sunderland isn't the most prolific team in England, but they scored three goals and could have scored more. Manchester City's attack was good, but their defence was an absolute disaster. This problem will catch up with them eventually, especially against strong teams."

"I still remember Guardiola's style from when he managed Bayern Munich, and he certainly wouldn't be satisfied with this result. He hates chaos, and he's not a manager who excels at handling chaotic situations."

"Yes, Manchester City beat Manchester United at Old Trafford when they were down to 10 men. But is that really impressive? Manchester City was completely disorganised when it was 11 vs 11, and Manchester United were the better team."

"Once it became 10 vs 11, Manchester City could drop deeper, and the pressure eased. As long as they set up with two banks of four in defence and left Haaland up front, it would have been difficult for United to break them down."

Was it a serious mistake for Arteta not to start Timber against Brighton?

Merson said: "I really want to ask Arteta why he started Guimarães against Brighton instead of Timber."

"Did he think the match would be easy? Did he think Brighton, after coming back from 2-0 down to beat Manchester United on Wednesday, would be tired?"

"The result is that this lineup completely failed. Arsenal were overrun and overwhelmed in midfield, suffering a heavy defeat."

"Guimarães is a good player. If the team plays in a low block, starting him is fine. If the team controls possession and has plenty of time on the ball, nobody is better suited than him. He's technically excellent, his passing is precise, and his football intelligence is very high."

"I can't help but wonder if Arteta thought on the bus ride home: 'I picked the wrong players this time.' Guimarães played exceptionally well when he came on against Aston Villa a few weeks ago. He controlled the ball consistently, passed smoothly, played one-twos, and firmly controlled the pace of the match. If he had played like that in this match, the outcome could have been different."

"I absolutely don't blame Guimarães for Arsenal's defeat, not at all. I simply don't understand why Arteta insisted on changing the starting lineup in such a difficult match."

"No matter how good you are, even if you're an international player with all the accolades, the moment the opposition presses you and forces you to play defensively, the nature of the game changes completely."

"If you have plenty of time on the ball, even retired players like me could play. But Brighton's pressing was superb, their performance was excellent. You have to give them credit—they're genuinely a very good team."

Traduit par IA.

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