Premier League title race: Ex-Aston Villa European champion makes stunning Arsenal prediction

Former Arsenal and Aston Villa forward Paul Merson has predicted the outcome of the Premier League title race heading into the second half of the season.

Despite a quiet start, Mikel Arteta's team convincingly beat Villa 4-1 at the Emirates on Tuesday, extending their lead over the West Midlands side to six points.

Arsenal's transformation under Arteta has made the Gunners capable of winning in various ways, with their set-piece ability echoing a Premier League record from the 1990s, and they remain dangerous from open play.

This evolution has led supporters and pundits alike to question whether any rival can realistically stop the trophy from coming back to London in May.

Merson goes bold in Premier League prediction

Merson believes Arsenal will win the Premier League "quite easily" following their emphatic 4-1 victory over Unai Emery's team.

The ex-Gunners star suggested that the performance was a significant statement to Manchester City, who are set to play Sunderland on New Year's Day.

"I think they win the Premier League quite easily," said the forward on Sky Sports News' Soccer Special. "It was a statement result and Man City will have been watching. They will be thinking wow after that from Arsenal.

"With the lead having been two points a draw against Villa and a Man City win on New Year's Day, Pep Guardiola's side would go top. But now, they have a five-point lead, and they have three extra goals because goal difference will be important with it being so tight.

"Looking at Arsenal, with the away fixtures they have already played and this result against Villa, I don't know who will stop them. They play all the big teams apart from Man City at home and playing like that, it's hard to see them being stopped."

Do Arsenal have psychological edge in the title race?

The nature of the victory against Villa appears to have provided Arsenal with a substantial psychological advantage over their title rivals.

While the first half was a cagey affair where the weight of expectation seemed to affect the players, the subsequent thirty-minute blitz showcased the depth of talent available to Arteta.

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher noted that the result felt like more than just three points, given the quality of the opposition and the timing of the win.

"It’s a huge result in lots of ways," noted the former Liverpool defender. "The calibre of the opposition, the first time Arsenal have beaten a real rival this season, scoring goals and making sure the stadium wasn’t nervous in the end.

"Arsenal needed that! "It felt like more than three points, psychologically. The feeling around the training ground tomorrow will be completely different.

"Gabriel being back is huge. Before I've said that he's the most influential player in the Premier League, and we've seen it again tonight."