Paul Merson has handed Manchester City a motivational gift that could last all season. The pundit thinks the league leaders are scoring too many goals to actually win the title.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson explained his reasoning. "I saw City against Sunderland and go, no. There's no way Manchester City win the league," he said. His argument? "You can't keep scoring loads of goals to win football matches." Top teams, he warned, "will pick you off."
That Sunderland match did see City concede three goals — all scored by Brian Brobbey. It was an outlier. In league play so far, City has allowed five goals, with three of them coming against Sunderland. In the Champions League against Porto, City didn't allow a goal.
More than half of the five goals City has given up in six matches came in that one game. No other team has managed to do what Sunderland did against City. The back line has been revamped and already looked good, except against Sunderland. The chemistry is still forming, and the group should be better as the season goes on.
Merson did acknowledge City's attacking threat, noting that "going forward, Manchester City were good, but at the back they were all over the place." That praise comes with the talents of Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, and others leading the line.
So the top team currently in the Premier League is expected to fail by one pundit. City's response will be written on the pitch, not in the studio.