Former Manchester United star turned pundit Gary Neville has hit out at several Arsenal stars, taking blame at selected names for the Gunners’ late season collapse.
About a month ago, Arsenal were eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table and looked odds on to win the Premier League for the first time in 19 years. However, a massive decline in form means the Premier League title is now City’s to lose and the Citizens could be set to defend their crown once again.
Arsenal’s slump in form started with a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield, before successive draws against West Ham and Southampton as well. In the all-important fixture against Manchester City at the Etihad, the Gunners were outclassed 4-1 by Guardiola’s men, in a result that meant City are now just two points behind the league leaders but with two games in hand.
It is the first time this season that Arsenal have gone four league games without a win as well as the first time since 2020 that this has happened to the Gunners.
City are now the favourites to retain their crown and Gary Neville believes a handful of Arsenal players in particular have let their team down.
Neville takes a swipe at Arsenal’s ‘senior’ players
Speaking on the Overlap, Gary Neville said: “I look at Martin Odegaard, fantastic professional. Oleksandr Zinchenko, great professional. But when you actually get to the highest pressurised moments in the biggest matches in the crux of the season, are they leaders then?”
“Arsenal’s senior players, Partey, Zinchenko, Odegaard, in the most difficult period – when those younger players like Saka and Martinelli needed that guidance, Jesus needed telling to stop running around and just stand up front and be really disciplined in how you play – they didn’t impact the rest of their teammates on the pitch, I don’t believe.”
“In fact, they contributed to the difficulties they were having in the matches.”
“Xhaka at Anfield [referring to the incident with Trent Alexander-Arnold], Partey’s performances in the last few games, I think Zinchenko gave a goal away in one game as well – the Liverpool game and maybe West Ham as well – and Odegaard had probably his most difficult game as well against Manchester City.”
He added: “And then if you think of the huddle that Zinchenko did [against Southampton] and then Odegaard came over and said, “Break up”.
“So those four players that are the leaders in that team have not been able – at the moment those younger players needed it – to really pull them together and keep them calm and composed. That to me has been apparent these last few weeks.”
Neville continued: “In the first 10 minutes against West Ham, Arsenal’s back four would split, they were deep for a throw in, they’d get on the ball, they’d be in their shape, they’d play out from the back in their pattern.”
“What happened in the second half when it got tough, they started just to push up the pitch, they got really clammy and tense, they didn’t do the things they were doing [in the first half].”
“So what you then need is someone on the pitch who says, “Hang on a minute, slow down, split our back four, get the full-backs wide, get your midfield players split, get Saka and Martinelli high and wide, do the things that you’ve been doing!”
Arsenal will now be looking to return to winning ways against Chelsea but whatever the result is, the fact remains that the Premier League title is no longer in their hands.
