Paul Merson believes Arsenal will find it difficult to chase down Liverpool in the Premier League title race without injured talisman Bukayo Saka.
But the former Gunners attacker is adamant the Reds will eventually have a blip after losing just once in the first half of the season.
Liverpool are six points clear of Mikel Arteta's side at the summit with a game in hand going into the latest round of fixtures
Merson, expects Liverpool to go on and win a record-equalling 20th title
Merson believes the hamstring injury suffered by England winger Saka could prove too difficult for Arsenal to overcome.
Merson explained his reasoning for choosing Liverpool as champions this time out.
"I thought Arsenal would chase them down, and there's a long way to go, but without Saka for two or three months I just can't see it,"
"But Liverpool will have their blip. They had it last year."
Merson also claimed Arsenal would have been "slaughtered" for missing out on the title in the same way that Liverpool did last season.
The Reds ultimately finished third behind champions Manchester City having led for periods during the campaign.
Merson
"If Arsenal had have done what Liverpool did last year they would have got absolutely slaughtered,"
"But it was Liverpool and nothing was said.
"But there will be a time (they will slip up), they have big games, Champions League, Carabao Cup and possibly another final. they haven't had any injuries yet.
“But without Saka I just don't see Arsenal being able to chase them down."
Liverpool have been without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker, striker Diogo Jota, summer signing Federico Chiesa, midfielder Harvey Elliott and defenders Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley for significant portions of this season
Joe Gomez is presently out for a number of weeks with a hamstring problem.
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