Paul Merson: Arteta deserves respect for the job he has done at Arsenal

In his latest column for Sky Sports, Paul Merson says Mikel Arteta deserves respect for the job he has done at Arsenal and likens his former side's challenge of dethroning Man City to that of a heavyweight boxing challenger beating Mike Tyson for the world title!

Fair play to Arsenal, you've got to win games and they have gone to Spurs and won.

One of the main things about this victory is it is for the fans. It's such an important game to the Arsenal supporters and the players got the job done.

What worries me, and I see Arsenal winning their next three games, is what happens if they do that but still don't win the league? I don't know how that will affect this Arsenal team for next season.

Last year, they came into this season, and everyone said they melted. They had something to prove and could go again.

Winning the next three games but not winning the league, they might start thinking what else can they do?

It was very nervous all because of the goalkeeper. It was a bad mistake and it just causes drama.

Tottenham fans are relieved because they think with another 10 minutes they might have got back in the game, but the only reason they got back in it was the goalkeeper, it's as simple as that.

That's what you have to do in the run-in, you've got to be alive in every minute of the game.

Something like that could have sent everything pear-shaped for Arsenal.

The message for Arsenal is to do the simple things well and the simple thing was for the goalkeeper to send the ball 60 yards down the pitch.

Even though you are 3-0 up it doesn't mean you can take liberties with the other team because football changes like that, it changes so quickly.

That's where Arsenal have to learn. They were cruising but then by the end, they were hanging