Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has made a shock promise to fans ahead of Manchester City’s trip to face Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal will be watching on intently on Tuesday evening when Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester City.
The Gunners kept their Premier League title dream alive with Sunday’s win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. However, Mikel Arteta’s side need Manchester City to drop points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in order for the destiny of the title to be in their own hands on the final day of the campaign.
Arsenal fans made the most of their win at Old Trafford, but now their full focus will be on the fortunes of their North London rivals.
Arsenal legend Paul Merson makes Tottenham Hotspur promise
Pep Guardiola’s side will be favourites heading into this encounter, but they have a poor record against Spurs away from home.
However, Paul Merson is not optimistic that Tottenham Hotspur can do Arsenal a favour. Looking ahead to Tuesday’s fixture, he said on Sky Sports (13/05/2024, 19:03): “If they win that, I’ll have a Tottenham tattoo. I will.”
He went on to confirm that he would have a tattoo of the Tottenham cockerel, which forms part of their club crest.
Of course, Merson is an Arsenal icon, having made over 400 appearances for the club, winning two league titles in the process. Like anyone connected with Arsenal, he will be desperately hoping for Spurs to pull off a positive result this week.
Mikel Arteta must keep Arsenal focused
However, all Arsenal can do is focus on their own task. No matter what happens, the Gunners will still be in the title race on the final day of the season, when they will welcome Everton to the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta’s side can’t afford to get distracted by goings on elsewhere. Above all, they must ensure that they claim maximum points against the Toffees.
They will need to be better against the Merseyside outfit than they were against Manchester United. The Gunners were far from their best at Old Trafford, and failed to control the game in the manner that has become their trademark.
They were particularly poor in the middle of the park. Martin Odegaard was generally quiet, Declan Rice failed to stamp his authority on the match, and Thomas Partey was called out by Arsenal fans for struggling to keep up with the pace of the game.
Arsenal must be far more assured and dominant in their performance against Everton.
