Arsenal travel to Vicarage Road on Sunday afternoon to take on Watford in a must-win Premier League clash.
The Gunners are desperate to end their five-year UEFA Champions League hiatus and can leapfrog Manchester United and West Ham United into fourth place by beating the Hornets, who played out a 0-0 draw with the Red Devils last weekend.
Mikel Arteta's men are one of the most in-form teams in the English top-flight, winning seven of their last nine league outings, including crucial wins against Bruno Lage's defensively solid Wolves side.
And with the aforementioned United taking on league-leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium later in the day, it is the perfect chance for Arteta and Co to build some momentum on their top-four charge ahead of a busy few weeks.
Now, Arsenal hero Paul Merson has given his prediction for Sunday's highly-anticipated match, backing his old side to edge out Watford on the day.
Writing for Sportskeeda, Merson said: "Arsenal are flying at the moment, but Watford are really unpredictable and I always get the feeling that they have a couple more good performances left in them between now and the end of the season.
"You never quite know what you’re going to get from the Hornets, so this is a tough football match to call.
"I stick to what I said at the start of the season and believe Arsenal will finish in the Premier League top four.
"Everyone around them is losing games - Manchester United couldn’t beat Watford last week, Spurs have been up and down in recent weeks and the likes of West Ham and Wolves have also been inconsistent.
"Arsenal have got the best chance and I think they will put themselves in an even better position this week with a hard-fought win."
Merson's Prediction: Watford 1-2 Arsenal
Former Liverpool and United striker Michael Owen has agreed with Merson's prediction, also forecasting a closely fought contest that the north Londoners will come out on top.
"Watford showed a lot of heart at Old Trafford, to come away with a point," Owen told his BetVictor blog.
"They rode their luck at times, but to take four points from their last two away trips, at Aston Villa and Man United, is impressive stuff. I fear it might have come a bit late for them though.
"Arsenal haven’t played since that dramatic win over Wolves, and they’re bound to come into this full of confidence. I think fourth place is theirs to lose, but they need to avoid any complacency."
"I think Watford will throw everything they have at Arsenal, but I think Arsenal will win this 2-1."
Owen's Prediction: Watford 1-2 Arsenal
