Paul Merson tells Arteta to change the position of One Arsenal player or else they will bottle the league title this season.

Mikel Arteta is likely to be highly frustrated with one of his Arsenal players following their 1-1 draw against Fulham, as suggested by football pundit Paul Merson. The Gunners were unable to claim victory at Craven Cottage, a result that could prove detrimental to their Premier League title hopes.

The match started with Raul Jimenez giving Fulham the lead in the first half, finishing confidently to put the home side ahead. Arsenal managed to equalize early in the second half through William Saliba, whose header from close range brought the Gunners back into the game.

However, Arsenal’s hopes of securing all three points were dashed late on when VAR disallowed Bukayo Saka’s potential winner. The goal was ruled out due to an offside in the build-up, with Gabriel Martinelli identified as the guilty party.

Martinelli was found to be clearly offside when the initial cross was delivered, and his positioning led to the VAR decision that ultimately denied Arsenal a critical victory. Speaking on Sky Sports, Paul Merson criticized the Brazilian winger and speculated that Arteta would be equally displeased.

“You can’t be offside there,” Merson said. “You’re looking along the line. Martinelli is a player with blistering pace—he doesn’t need to gain an advantage by being offside. He’s quick enough to let defenders have a head start and still beat them.”

Merson added that he wouldn’t be surprised if Arteta addressed the issue with Martinelli privately. “I’d expect the manager to have a word with him in the dressing room. You could see it in Martinelli’s reaction—he knew he’d made a mistake. Being offside in that situation is completely avoidable; it’s just about staying alert and watching the line.”

The result leaves Arsenal six points behind league leaders Liverpool, though Liverpool still have a game in hand that could stretch the gap further.

Despite climbing to second place in the league table, Arsenal’s position is precarious, as Chelsea could reclaim second spot if they secure just one point in their upcoming derby clash with Tottenham later in the day.

For Arsenal, the draw represents a missed opportunity in their pursuit of the Premier League title. Arteta will undoubtedly demand better focus and decision-making from his players in the matches ahead.