Merson and Carragher Divided Over Arsenal Title Chances Amid Fulham Prediction

Paul Merson and Jamie Carragher have delivered sharply contrasting assessments of Arsenal's Premier League title ambitions, with the former Gunners star backing his old club to clinch the championship while former Liverpool defender Carragher urges caution ahead of what promises to be a thrilling finale to the season.

Arsenal currently sit second in the table, two points behind leaders Liverpool with five games remaining. Merson, writing in his weekly Sky Sports column, insists the north London club has the quality and mentality to overhaul their rivals: "This Arsenal team has been built for moments like this. They've learned from last season's collapse, and I truly believe they'll handle the pressure better than Liverpool. The FA Cup semi-final showed their character - that's a title-winning mentality."

However, Carragher remains unconvinced, pointing to Arsenal's notoriously difficult run-in: "You only need to look at the fixtures. Fulham away is an absolute banana skin. Those Craven Cottage afternoon kick-offs are notoriously tricky. Then you've got Tottenham, Manchester United, and potentially a title decider against Liverpool at the Emirates. It's far from straightforward."

The debate has intensified following Arsenal's dominant 4-1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates, where Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard delivered masterclass performances. The win moved Mikel Arteta's side within touching distance of top spot, reigniting title hopes that appeared to have faded after a inconsistent March run.

Fulham, despite sitting 13th in the table, have proven stubborn opponents at home, losing just twice at Craven Cottage all season. Marco Silva's side claimed an impressive draw against Tottenham and pushed Manchester City close before suffering a narrow defeat.