Paul Merson has defended Liverpool whilst suggesting that Arsenal have ultimately achieved nothing despite their strong start to the season.
Liverpool have been coming in for huge criticism this season.
The Reds narrowly missed out on the Premier League title last season whilst winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, even reaching the Champions League final.
Yet this season has been a huge disappointment.
Liverpool are already 15 points off top spot and just can’t seem to string together consistent results.
Paul Merson has defended Liverpool
Some have wondered if Liverpool’s key players are frankly worn out from Jurgen Klopp’s style of play.
Others think that Liverpool just haven’t refreshed their squad well enough and some players need replacing.
Then there is the Sadio Mane factor with Liverpool seemingly missing the Senegalese ace following his move to Bayern Munich.
There may be some truth to all of those theories, amalgamating together to give us this inconsistent, off-colour Liverpool side.
Many will still back Liverpool to get back into the top four race soon enough though and who would really bet against Klopp’s side?
Paul Merson has now offered his view on Liverpool and actually defended them whilst making a point about his former club Arsenal.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson suggested that Klopp shouldn’t be criticised for not bringing in more new signings.
Merson believes that sticking with the same group may be a criticism for promoted teams but not for Klopp and Liverpool, who have been a ‘machine’.
When fellow pundit Jobi McAnuff pointed out Arsenal’s improvement and recruitment of late, Merson had a very honest view on his former club.
Merson noted that Arsenal have ‘done nothing’ so far and whilst they’re young and improving, they haven’t won anything yet.
This sounds like how Arsenal fans would talk about Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham, but now it’s being aimed at Mikel Arteta’s men.
Merson suggested that there is just no comparison because of how much Liverpool have won of late, defending the Reds despite his affinity for Arsenal.
“You see it with teams who come up into the Premier League, they go ‘you know what, we’ll stay with what we’ve got’, and it backfires,” said Merson. “I wouldn’t have a go at Jurgen Klopp for that with the success they’ve had over the last five or six years, it’s been so solid, why would you want to rock the boat and bring in other players? It was a machine.”
“You’re going on about Arsenal now, but Arsenal have done nothing, they’ve done nothing have Arsenal. They might be youngest team and improved but they haven’t won anything. Look what Liverpool have done in the last three or four years,” he added.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
