Former England international Paul Merson has pinpointed two elite European heavyweights that he believes could derail Arsenal’s ambitions of securing a historic Treble this season. Despite their current dominance in the domestic league, Mikel Arteta’s side saw their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple evaporate last Sunday following a 2–0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Nevertheless, the Gunners remain active contenders in the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League as the 2025/26 campaign enters its most critical phase.
Merson’s assessment centers on the potential psychological and tactical hurdles the North London club may face if they cross paths with familiar foes in the coming months. He suggests that the recent “footballing lesson” handed out by Pep Guardiola’s side in the League Cup final could have a lingering impact on Arsenal’s confidence, particularly if the two sides meet again in the latter stages of the FA Cup. Furthermore, the pundit raised concerns regarding Arsenal’s defensive profile when matched against the high-intensity systems currently employed by continental giants.
Analyzing the challenges awaiting the Gunners in both domestic and European knockout competitions, Merson shared his candid views:
“Man City are still in the FA Cup. Watching that game, you’d be shocked if Arsenal went back to Wembley and beat them. And then in the Champions League, I look at Barcelona – who Arsenal are on course to play in the semi-finals – and Arsenal haven’t got the pace to trouble Barcelona’s high line.”
The tactical dilemma highlighted by Merson regarding Barcelona is especially pertinent given the Spanish side’s recent resurgence under Hansi Flick. Arsenal are scheduled to face Sporting CP in the Champions League quarter-finals next month, with a victory potentially setting up a high-stakes semi-final against the Catalan giants. Merson argues that the Gunners’ current forward line may lack the “electric” recovery pace needed to exploit the aggressive defensive positioning that has become a hallmark of Barcelona’s European campaign this season.
While Arsenal currently maintain a healthy nine-point lead at the summit of the Premier League table, the road to additional trophies appears fraught with difficulty. The North London side will need to overcome these tactical mismatches and the psychological weight of their recent Wembley loss to prove Merson’s predictions wrong. As the squad prepares for their FA Cup quarter-final and the return of European nights, the focus remains on whether Arteta can find the necessary adjustments to overcome the hurdles presented by Manchester City and a potential showdown with Barcelona.
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