Merson: Tottenham Losing to Everton Would Mean Season Collapse, Another Manchester Derby Defeat Would Leave Man United in Trouble

Paul Merson said in his latest column that Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United all have decisive matches this weekend, even though the season has only just begun.

Tottenham have played three Premier League matches without a win or a goal. They will host unbeaten Everton in the Saturday evening fixture, with supporters waiting to see the result. Sunday will bring the Manchester derby, as Michael Carrick's inconsistent Manchester United face Manchester City in the first major test of the post-Guardiola era.

Tottenham: This is a cup final

Merson said Tottenham must beat Everton this weekend. He described it as their cup final and even suggested it was a major turning point for their season.

If you lose to Everton, you start thinking: this is going to become another painful season, here we go again. As a Tottenham supporter, you would start to become very, very worried.

But if they beat Everton, that makes it two unbeaten games and takes them to four points. Then suddenly you can start building from there.

Merson said this is not as big as Tottenham's final-day match against Everton last season. If they had lost that game, they would have had to go to Lincoln. But now, he simply cannot see this team winning five or six games in a row. So this is an important match.

Tottenham's opening run has been away to Brentford, at home to Newcastle and away to Nottingham Forest. If they lose to Everton and take only one point from four matches, people will start to worry.

Merson said that if they beat Everton, they will have every chance of winning at home against Aston Villa next week. If they cannot beat Everton, they will not beat Villa. That is how it works, it is a snowball effect. When you win, you expect to win the next game too. But if you do not win, the confidence disappears.

Manchester United: Beat City and they take off, lose the derby and it is trouble again

Merson said Manchester United's season is also hanging in the balance because of the Manchester derby. If they beat City, they will take off. If they are beaten by City, it happens again.

That would mean only one point from two matches, including the game against Everton, while other teams around them are winning.

Merson said he has always stated that he does not think Manchester United recruited well. The squad is not big enough, far from it.

Defensively, they are far from good enough. They conceded two goals against Everton, which were two good goals, but one came from the edge of the box while everyone was behind the ball.

Merson said that when you are winning, you should put another forward on. Do not take off a forward and bring on a defender. Do not give……