Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has slammed the club’s defence at the moment in a warning message of sorts to manager Unai Emery.
The Gunners have made a solid enough start under Emery since he took on the difficult job of replacing Arsene Wenger this summer, but glaring weaknesses clearly remain at the Emirates Stadium.
Even in Arsenal’s long unbeaten run they have regularly gone behind in games and seem to find clean sheets hard to come by due to a number of sloppy defensive errors.
Petit has been far from impressed and has laid into how Arsenal’s back line have performed.
‘In defence they are weak, they’re average,’ Petit is quoted by the Daily Mirror.
‘They make individual and collective errors. Sometimes you have to laugh. They injuries are not an excuse, most of the players who stepped in are internationals.
‘The quality they had been showing vanished (at Brighton) and it became obvious what their weakest link was – the defence.’
In addition to that, the Frenchman was also heavily critical of Mesut Ozil’s lack of impact at the club in recent times, comparing him to a ‘ghost’ for failing to deliver in the way he used to.
‘Mesut Ozil was taken off at half-time (against Brighton). I’m a big fan of his, but he has been a ghost for two years,’ Petit added, as quoted by the Mirror.
‘Where is the Ozil who was one of the best players around, making so many assists and goals? I think he has lost his desire on the pitch, it’s not there any more.’
Arsenal fans will surely agree that despite Emery’s fine start, some major work is needed to iron out the weaknesses in this squad, with Ozil and the defence perhaps two key areas that have let the team down for a while now.