Paul Merson has given his prediction for the upcoming match between Manchester United vs Arsenal.
The two sides are set to face each other in the Premier League on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
Ahead of the game, Merson has shared his thoughts, backing Mikel Arteta's side to beat the rivals with a score of 2-1.
"This is a must-win game for Arsenal, it's as simple as that! If you have a look at their fixtures after this weekend, it goes like - Leeds United at home, Liverpool away, Forest and Man City at home before a trip to Newcastle. If they don't beat Manchester United on Sunday, I don't expect them to beat Liverpool and City during this run! So all of a sudden, they could be seven or nine points behind in the title race," said Merson.
"Now people talk about it being a long season with 38 games. But if Arsenal are trailing Liverpool by nine points by September, I don't think they will be able to catch up. If Arsenal draw and Liverpool win this weekend, and the Reds beat them at Anfield in gameweek three, the Gunners will be five points behind Arne Slot's men. That is still a huge problem if you're Arsenal. So I cannot emphasise enough on why Arsenal must beat United, otherwise this could end up being a nightmare start for them.
"Viktor Gyokeres scored a brilliant header in pre-season. When Arsenal are under pressure in certain games, he will become a nuisance to opponents by running the channels and working the defenders. He's a real presence in front of goal and you can count on him to cause problems to opponents.
"I think Arsenal can win the league, if they can keep all their main players fit. I'd be shocked if Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard all play 35 games and Arsenal still don't win the Premier League. They are massive favourites if that happens.
"Mikel Arteta and Arsenal must forget about the 37 games they have coming up after this weekend. This is the problem with some people in this league, you should never go into a new season with a mindset of making up points later. Look at Jose Mourinho when he was successful at Chelsea, he always got off the block quickly. It's true that you can't win the league in October, but you can surely lose it if you're not sharp enough!"
source - Sportskeeda