Merson: Arsenal Lacked X-Factor Signing for Champions League — SkimNews
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- Paul Merson says Arsenal did not make the X-factor signing needed to win the Champions League, naming Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez as the type of forward who would have given them the edge.
- Merson believes Arsenal have enough to win the Premier League but will "fall short" in the Champions League.
- Kai Havertz earns praise as a hardworking, intelligent player, though Merson doubts he will score 20 goals in a season.
- Bukayo Saka is the only Arsenal attacker Merson says would keep opposing full-backs up at night.
- Arsenal had "no pace getting forward" in last season's Champions League final, where Merson says PSG squeezed the game and refused to let them out of their half.
- Chelsea scored after 77 seconds at Arsenal but never threatened again, which Merson cites as proof of Arsenal's defensive dominance.
- Arsenal travel to face Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday, and Merson does not expect them to lose.
Why it matters: Merson's column crystallizes the question that will follow Arsenal into every Champions League knockout tie: can a defensively superb, Premier League-winning side actually lift the European trophy without an elite, fear-inducing forward? His verdict — domestic champion, continental also-ran — frames the scrutiny on Arsenal's front line against the likes of PSG and Bayern in the latter stages.
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