"If they had to give up a trophy, it might be the League Cup. But another final defeat would lead to heavy criticism this week," Merson told Sky Sports on 24/3.

Arsenal conceded the second goal from Nico O’Reilly's header in the 0-2 loss to Man City in the League Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 22/3. Photo: AP

After losing 0-2 at Wembley on 22/3, Arsenal missed the chance to win the League Cup for the first time since 1993. Despite this setback, they remain in contention across three other competitions. The 'Gunners' are 9 points ahead of Man City in the Premier League, and are set to face Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarterfinals and Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals.

Merson believes Arsenal are still strong enough to win the Premier League this season, given their significant advantage. However, the former English midfielder expressed doubts about Arsenal's capabilities in the FA Cup and Champions League. He suggested that if they were to overcome Sporting and face Barca in the Champions League semifinals, Arsenal would lack the speed to exploit the opponent's high defensive line.

"I don't see them winning any other titles apart from the Premier League," the 58-year-old former midfielder stated.

In the League Cup final, the 'Gunners' only had a slight edge for about 20 minutes before being outplayed in the second half, conceding two goals from Nico O’Reilly's headers. Merson stated that Man City played sensationally in the second half, teaching Arsenal a lesson in top-tier football. He observed that for about 25 minutes of the second half, Arsenal players almost avoided holding possession, constantly clearing the ball and ceding control back to their opponents.

"Man City destroyed them, completely destroyed them," Merson commented, adding that the defeat was a major psychological shock for Arsenal, with players entering the changing room feeling utterly outclassed.

Merson criticized goalkeeper Kepa's serious mistake but emphasized that the problem extended beyond one individual. According to him, only two Arsenal players performed well: the central defensive pair of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. "Kepa's mistake unintentionally made people forget that many other players didn't deserve more than 5 points," he commented.

The 58-year-old former midfielder was particularly concerned that no Arsenal player was willing to take possession when the team was struggling. "No one wanted to hold the ball. That's truly worrying," Merson remarked.

Hong Duy (according to Sky Sports)