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  "path": "/2026/04/26/arsenal-legend-paul-merson-names-fixture-will-decide-premier-league-title-race-28122904/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-26T16:15:10.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "Manchester City FC",
    "Mikel Arteta",
    "Paul Merson",
    "Pep Guardiola",
    "Premier League",
    "Manchester City",
    "hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle United",
    "Newcastle",
    "Eberechi Eze",
    "Sign up to our daily football newsletter",
    "Sky Sports",
    "painful defeat to title rivals Manchester City",
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  "textContent": "Paul Merson speaking after Arsenal beat Newcastle (Picture: Sky Sports)\n\nPaul Merson has identified the game he believes will decide the Premier League title race as Arsenal and Manchester City battle it out.\n\nThe Gunners, chasing a first league title since 2004, regained their place at the top of the table with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle United.\n\nArsenal had lost back-to-back league games before returning to winning ways against struggling Newcastle courtesy of Eberechi Eze’s early goal.\n\nMikel Arteta’s side are once again three points ahead of second-placed Man City, who have a game in hand.\n\nArsenal’s final four Premier League fixtures are against three London rivals in Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace, and already-relegated Burnley.\n\nMarco Silva’s Fulham visit the Emirates Stadium at the weekend and Merson believes Arsenal will go on to clinch the title if they win that game.\n\nAn Arsenal victory on Saturday would send the Gunners six points clear ahead of Manchester City’s next league game against Everton on Monday week.\n\n##  Get personalised football updates every day\n\nSign up to our daily football newsletter and choose your team to get the latest news, rumours and more about your favourite team.\n\nEberechi Eze scored as Arsenal beat Newcastle (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘If Arsenal win next week against Fulham at home, Arsenal will win the league,’ Merson confidently said on Sky Sports after the Gunners beat Newcastle.\n\n‘That’s what I think. I’ve said all season that they’ll win it. It is getting tight, but I think if they can go six points clear… Everton away is a difficult game for Man City when six points behind.’\n\nFellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp added: ‘I think it’s 50/50. I genuinely believe that.\n\n‘Anything could happen. We might get down to a situation with goal difference. We see the pressure.\n\n‘I watched Man City against Burnley on Tuesday night and there was a little bit of pressure in their performance. Anything can still happen.’\n\nArsenal had lost four of their last six games before the much-needed win over Newcastle, including a painful defeat to title rivals Manchester City.\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\n‘It was much better,’ Arteta said after watching his team edge out Newcastle. ‘We know what is at stake.\n\n‘The margins are really small. We started the game really well, scored a beautiful goal. I loved the personality of the players.\n\n‘We were so disciplined without the ball, we only conceded one chance. We can miss chances but it is how the team reacts immediately and the effort that we put in.’\n\nAsked about the atmosphere in the Arsenal camp in the days following their defeat to Man City, Arteta added: ‘We had a huge reset.\n\n‘I sensed a change in energy in the dressing room. We enjoyed what we had to do and now we play the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in the semi-final which is incredible.’\n\nArsenal midfielder Declan Rice added: ‘I think we said after last week that we have to win five games if you want to win the Premier League.\n\n‘That’s one down and now four to go. It was about winning no matter how we win. It is exciting times. There’s a lot to play for.’\n\n**For more stories like this, check our sport page**.\n\n**Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on**Facebook,** Twitter and Instagram**.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Arsenal legend Paul Merson names fixture that will decide Premier League title race"
}