Paul Merson has claimed Arsenal were spooked by their defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion and have since abandoned their attacking identity. The Sky Sports pundit doubts their current approach has the cutting edge to overcome Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week.
Merson made the comments after watching Arsenal grind out a narrow win over Nottingham Forest. He argued the performance showed a team that has reverted to a defensive type, prioritising efficiency over the entertaining football associated with Arsene Wenger's sides. Merson stated that Arsenal's wingers do not take players on and that nobody makes runs beyond the ball, making them predictable. He suggested the team now only needs one goal to win a game, unlike rivals Manchester City who he feels need two.
The pundit also questioned whether individual players like Kai Havertz or Viktor Gyokeres possess the quality to trouble Europe's biggest clubs. He pointed to the depth of Arsenal's bench, suggesting it makes it too easy to substitute underperformers without addressing systemic issues. Merson drew a comparison to Eberechi Eze's struggles for Crystal Palace, noting the midfielder had been substituted at half-time against Forest after failing to adapt with fewer touches. That Palace side was soundly beaten 5-0 by Brighton on Sunday 18 October, with goals from Diego Gomez, Yasin Ayari, Charalampos Kostoulas, and Jack Hinshelwood.
Brighton's dominant 3-0 victory over Arsenal at the Amex in September is the reference point for Merson's critique. That result forms part of a formidable run for Roberto De Zerbi's side, who have won five consecutive league games. Brighton & Hove Albion currently sit third in the Premier League standings with 16 points from seven matches, just five points behind leaders Manchester City. Their record of five wins, one draw, and one loss is underpinned by the league's best attack, having scored 23 goals while conceding only five. Their most recent outing was a 5-0 demolition of Crystal Palace, a result that extended their winning streak and showed their attacking prowess. This followed a 4-0 win over Kauno Žalgiris and a 2-0 victory at Sunderland, part of a perfect run of five wins from their last five matches.
Merson elaborated that the manner of the Brighton defeat, where Arsenal were outplayed and outfought, has had a lasting psychological impact, causing Mikel Arteta's side to retreat into a more cautious shell. He believes this shift, while making them harder to beat, has cost them their fluency and unpredictability in the final third.
The focus now shifts to a key away fixture against Liverpool on October 25th. Brighton, with top scorer Charalampos Kostoulas having netted three times this season, will travel to face the fifth-placed side. Before that, all eyes will be on the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday to see if Merson's doubts are justified when Arsenal host Bayern Munich.
The report in full is at Sky Sports Football
