Paul Merson decided to wind up former Spurs defender Michael Dawson after full-time and it was just awkward

There was an awkward silence in the Sky Sports studio on Sunday afternoon after Paul Merson made a joke about Spurs' so-called "fightback" against Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta's side survived a late scare at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to maintain their slender lead at the Premier League summit.

The visitors ran rampant in the opening stages as goals from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg [OG], Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz gave them a comfortable three-goal lead.

But after making an unusually slow start to the second-half, the Gunners' lost momentum when Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min found the net to make it 3-2.

To their credit, the Gunners managed to hold on in the final moments to continue their title charge.

But former Spurs defender Michael Dawson, who was on punditry duty for Sky, was far from complimentary about their lacklustre display in the second-half.

"At the end, Arsenal are hanging on and they're nervous," he said. "They're going for a title. Nerves kick in. Obviously for Merse and Arsenal and all those fans they'll all go home happy."

Paul Merson 🤝 winding up Michael Dawson pic.twitter.com/PFRFZrSP4g

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 28, 2024

As you can see in the footage above, Merson wasn't best pleased with the response. In fact, his reply to Dawson left the studio in silence for an awkward few seconds.

He joked: "It helps them in good stead for next year though Tottenham, doesn't it now, that fightback."

Roy Keane, Micah Richards and presenter David Jones also looked on awkwardly as Merse shrugged his shoulders, as if to question Dawson's comments about the fightback.

To the relief of those watching at home, Jones eventually stepped in to defuse the tension. "Well, maybe we'll get onto the bigger picture in a little while," he laughed.

Here's how fans on social media reacted to the moment.

One said: "I don’t know how they didn’t burst out laughing in the studio," while another commented: "This part was so awkward."

A third wrote: "The awkward silence hahahahahaha go on, Merse!"

A fourth said: "That 'well' from Micah is hilarious," while a fifth added: "Watched this live + five times after and Merse’s little shake of the head at him telling him to behave does me every time."

Earlier on in the afternoon, former Arsenal midfielder Merson was lost for words after seeing a fan with his name and number on the back of their shirt ahead of kick-off.

Sky captured the moment on camera, and Merson appeared taken aback by the gesture. "They remember me," he said as he sat alongside Keane and Dawson. "I can't believe it. Yeah..."

Sky presenter David Jones then commented: "You feel quite emotional don't you Paul."