Paul Merson believes that Manchester City will not be able to win the Premier League title if they continue playing the way they are.

Under Guardiola's leadership, Manchester City made a strong start to the season, reaching five consecutive wins after defeating Sunderland 5-3.

With a three-week international break approaching, Guardiola's Manchester City leads defending champions Arsenal by 3 points. Arsenal suffered a devastating 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

Here's how "Magic Man" Merson explains why Arsenal still holds the initiative in this season's Premier League.

"Manchester City's Defence is a Complete Mess"

Merson said: "I was watching the match and thinking, if Manchester City can put in a dominant performance and convincingly beat Sunderland, then their momentum could change drastically."

"Arsenal had lost badly before, and it was completely deserved. I still thought they would win the title comfortably, without losing many games. Was I wrong?"

"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 crazy goals; you can't play that way. The best teams will exploit their weaknesses."

"Sunderland isn't the highest-scoring team in England, but they scored 3 goals and could have scored even more. Manchester City's attack was good, but their defence was a complete mess. This problem will catch up with them sooner or later, especially against strong teams."

"I still remember Guardiola's style from when he was at Chelsea, and he certainly wouldn't be happy with this result. He hates chaos and isn't a manager who handles chaotic situations well."

"Yes, Manchester City beat Manchester United 10 against 11 at Old Trafford. But how difficult is that? When it was 11 against 11, Manchester City was completely disorganised, and Manchester United was the better side."

"Once it became 10 against 11, Manchester City could sit back a bit, and the pressure wasn't as high. As long as they set up two lines of four and left Haaland up front, it would be difficult for opponents to break them down."

Did Arteta make a big mistake by not starting Lewis-Skelly against Brighton?

Merson stated: "I really want to ask Arteta why he started Bruno Guimarães against Brighton instead of Miles Lewis-Skelly."

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

"As a result, this team selection completely backfired. Arsenal's midfield was overrun and dominated, resulting in a heavy defeat."

"Bruno is a good player. If the team plays with a compact defence, it's fine to start him. If the team controls possession and has enough time on the ball, no one is more suited than him. He is technically excellent, passes with precision, and has a high football IQ."

"I can't help but wonder if Arteta was thinking on the coach ride back: 'I got this one wrong.' Bruno played brilliantly a couple of weeks ago, coming off the bench against Aston Villa; he controlled the ball consistently, passed with flexibility, played quick combinations, and controlled the tempo firmly. If he had played like that in this match, the outcome could have been better."

"I'm absolutely not blaming Bruno for Arsenal's defeat, not at all. I just 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 plenty of honours, as soon as the opponent presses you and forces you to defend, the nature of the game changes completely."

"If there's enough time on the ball, even retired players like me could play. But Brighton's pressing was superb; their performance was excellent. Credit where it's due, they are a really good team."

Traduzido por IA.

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