Paul Merson claims Arsenal will win the Premier League if they defeat Fulham, while Jamie Carragher warns of potential pitfalls in the match. Arsenal currently leads the table by three points over Manchester City.
Key points
Paul Merson predicts Arsenal will win the Premier League if they beat Fulham
Jamie Carragher warns Fulham could be a tricky opponent
Arsenal leads the Premier League table by three points
Arsenal recently won 1-0 against Newcastle
ArsenalFulhamPremier League
Paul Merson says Arsenal will end their 22-year wait for another Premier League trophy if they beat Fulham but Jamie Carragher has warned Marco Silva's side could be a "banana skin" in the title race.
Arsenal face Fulham, live on Saturday Night Football, with a three-point advantage at the top of the table after leapfrogging Manchester City, who have a game in hand, thanks to a nervy 1-0 win against Newcastle last time out.
Eberechi Eze's stunner in the ninth minute gave Arsenal the perfect start in that game but they struggled from there on and came close to squandering two points in the final moments when Yoane Wissa blazed his shot over the bar from close range.
Despite the worrying performance from Arsenal, who created an expected goals value of just 0.49 xG, Merson believes their next league game will be the decisive one in the title race, regardless of their recent struggles with nerves.
"Beat Fulham and it'll be Arsenal's league title," he said on the Premier League Show.
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Man City 2-1 Arsenal | Premier League highlights
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Manchester Cityâs match against Arsenal in the Premier League.
"Arsenal never really looked like scoring [vs Newcastle] and that's a worry. You go 1-0 up against a struggling Newcastle team, you think they are going to kick on but they didn't.
"That is the problem, everybody is nervous. You get to the end of the season and any mistake, that is it, end of.
"In the end, they were hanging on. It's a hard watch. I don't mean that because the football is not great, it's just a hard watch because of the nerves.
"It can't be again. You can't come second four times on the trot."
Carragher: Fulham could be Arsenal's banana skin in title race
Carragher believes trying to balance both European football and the title race could have major implications come the end of the season, warning that Fulham could be a "banana skin" for the league leaders, four days after facing Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Arsenal's remaining fixtures
April 29: Atletico Madrid (a) - Champions League
May 2: Fulham (h) - Premier League
May 5: Atletico Madrid (h) - Champions League
May 10: West Ham (a) - Premier League
May 17: Burnley (h) - Premier League
May 24: Crystal Palace (a) - Premier League
"If Arsenal continue in that vein, as we saw at the weekend against Newcastle, I don't see them winning all the games," Carragher told Sky Sports News.
"Arsenal have been a little bit unlucky with the scheduling. They're playing Wednesday-Tuesday [in the Champions League].
"People might think, 'what's the difference?' But you're playing three games in six days as opposed to three games in eight days. That's a big difference when you're at this stage of the season and you're thinking of fatigue as well.
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Jamie Carragher, Mikel Arteta
Jamie Carragher believes Fulham possess the ability to pose a stumbling block in Arsenal's charge for the title.
"Can you recover quickly enough from a Wednesday night in Madrid to travel back and then you play Saturday against Fulham? That's a big ask, and Fulham are a decent side.
"It will feel like for Arsenal or Manchester City that one draw and you'll feel like the league's lost.
"I think Fulham are a really good team, and there's a chance that could be the real banana skin for Arsenal."
