Gary Neville has thrashed Arsenal after their 2-1 defeat to Man City by claiming that the Gunners are not mentally strong and were completely lethargic, as per Sky Sports.
The North London club took the lead early on when Walcott slotted home with a cool finish in the first 5 minutes. However, the Emirates club failed to find that crucial second goal and were punished early in the second half.
Leroy Sane slotted home just minutes after the re-start and the Citizens then began to completely dominate and eventually took the lead through Raheem Sterling’s low shot with 20 minutes to go.
The North London club have been in excellent form lately and have gone 14 games unbeaten in the Premier League before their shock defeat to Everton in the midweek.
The Manchester United defender claimed that he is yet to come to terms on why the Gunners were so lethargic in the second half and when queried about Wenger’s comment that Arsenal are still mentally strong on Sky Sports after the game, he said:
I disagree with his point about mentality being strong, I don’t think it is.
There was a huge physical drop for Arsenal in the second half, I’m not quite sure where that has come from. They just looked completely lethargic, they were walking around the pitch, in such a huge game.
Initially I thought it was a tactical thing, them not pressurising [in the second half], but they didn’t pressurise at all. They physically just dropped in the second half. I’m trying to think of an excuse as to why they were so lethargic, so inactive in the game, and I’m finding it difficult I have to say.
It’s such an important game, with Chelsea driving clear. To put that performance in for the last hour of this match was startling.
The way Arsenal played in the second half was just depressing and frankly speaking, Winners don’t really do that. Chelsea have won their last 11 Premier League games. They have scored 25 goals, conceded two are laying their marker for the title. Arsenal, meanwhile, have lost in two consecutive matches having taken an early lead in both.
Wenger has been criticised for the lack of mental strength in his sides over the past decade and it is merely the expectation that they will lose the plot when the big game pressure is on. This season they looked devoid of those issues until this week.
Arsenal were excellent in the first half. They were defensively resolute and were threatening on the break. With a lead heading into the second half, the simple message from Wenger would have been not to concede in the initial moments, which they did.
They were naive in their defending throughout the second half and were giving away the ball too easily in their own half. It is a huge issue of game management that could well cost this team the Premier League.
