‘They’re in a different world’: Merson urges Arsenal to stop doing what Liverpool do every week

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Paul Merson has urged Arsenal to stop relying on their wingers for goals, which is something that Liverpool do week in, week out.

The Gunners scored three wonderful goals against Watford last weekend. Their wingers – Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli – scored two of them, while Martin Odegaard, who mostly operates on the right side of the offensive third, scored the other.

The concern for Arsenal, in many people’s eyes, is their lack of goals from their striker, Alexandre Lacazette.

Merson says he’s really worried about that and believes that only Liverpool can rely on their two wingers for their goals as they are in a ‘different world’ compared to everyone else in the Premier League.

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Paul Merson: Liverpool can rely on their wingers for goals, Arsenal can’t

Speaking about Arsenal’s lack of goals from their striker, Merson wrote in his column on The Daily Star: “My worry is they scored three goals the other day (vs Watford) and Alexandre Lacazette doesn’t get one.

“He’s your centre forward!

“That worries me. If Lacazette gets a couple I’d be going mad now saying they are dead certs for the top four.

“But, you can’t keep on relying on wingers. I know Liverpool do, but they’re in a different world their two wingers (Mohamed Salah on the right and Sadio Mane/Diogo Jota on the left).”

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Lacazette has been Arsenal’s main man up front but has only scored three times in the Premier League all season. That has put pressure on the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard to step up.

Thankfully for Arsenal, they all have and that is the reason why they’re in with a huge chance of finishing in the top four.

However, Merson definitely has a point here. Arsenal’s system, in a way, is similar to Liverpool where the centre-forward drops deep to link play up. However, they cannot rely on their wingers for all the goals as nobody at the Emirates can really match Mo Salah’s numbers.

Mikel Arteta has to find a way to secure top-four now. If that means he has to rely on his wingers, so be it, but the Gunners simply have to sign a top-quality centre-forward in the summer transfer window.

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