Troy Deeney has hit back at Arsenal supporters who’ve called on Mikel Arteta to drop Martin Zubimendi after the 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side delivered one other unconvincing performance as Junior Kroupi put Bournemouth ahead before Viktor Gyokeres equalised from the penalty spot.
Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut possibilities within the second half and Alex Scott sealed the win for Bournemouth within the 74th minute.
The result means Arsenal remain nine points clear at the highest of the Premier League but Manchester City now have two games in hand and likewise play the Gunners next Sunday.
Responding to supporters calling for the club to sack Arteta during CBS Sports’ post-match evaluation, Deeney said: ‘They’re not going to sack him because he has moved that club astronomically forward from where it was, they’re all the time in contention now and being spoken about as probably the greatest teams in world football, and rightly so.
‘But that is why Arsenal fans… that is why I really like you, and why you like me, because when it’s right and once they’re winning they’re hammering me, now… ‘sack him’?! He’s top of the league, they’re within the Champions League, now it’s, ‘sack him, do away with him’. Who’re you going to herald?
‘I just wish to ask you this query Arsenal fans, remember before [they said] they didn’t have any strikers? Gyokeres, Havertz and Jesus all played today, I said he [Gyokeres] would rating in these games, it’s the large games that matter, has he scored against Liverpool yet, has he scored against Man City yet?’
CBS Sports’ host, Adam Hunt, then read out criticism from an Arsenal fan towards Zubimendi, who has impressed since his £60 million move last summer.
‘Arsenal have a foul No.6 in Zubimendi they usually don’t have a principal man leading their attack,’ Hunt said.
Deeney replied with fun: ‘Oh my god, a foul No.6 in Zubimendi?
‘Literally every week ago, Nigel Reo Coker, who played the position to an unbelievable level, talking about he [Zubimendi] is probably the greatest players in Europe.
‘Also Arsenal fans, three weeks ago, talking about he’s the signing of the season, most underrated signing. What are we doing here?’
Deeney also responded to an Arsenal fan who criticised Arteta for leaving Christian Norgaard on the bench.
‘There’s an Arsenal fan on the market that thinks the explanation they’re not winning is because Norgaard shouldn’t be playing?’ he asked with a smile.
‘They’re calling for Norgaard… they’re calling for a holding midfielder.’
Deeney also believes there’s now a ‘nervous energy’ within the Arsenal squad following the defeat to Bournemouth.
‘I feel if you return, moments like Declan Rice after games, he was videoed saying, ‘happens on a regular basis’, City had lost they usually drew the sport [against Nottingham Forest], he knows these are key moments,’ Deeney said.
‘Let’s talk in regards to the mental side of it from a player’s standpoint, you begin to imagine the hype after just a little while.
‘Let’s use Declan for example, he’s probably the greatest all-round midfielders in world football, probably in the highest five, you begin to listen to possibly he’ll win a Ballon d’Or, possibly this 12 months he wins three or 4 trophies and the World Cup, Bukayo Saka has just got a brand latest contract, you begin to imagine that is your season.
Arsenal’s next three fixtures
Sporting CP (H) | Champions League | April 15
Man City (A) | Premier League | April 19
Newcastle United (H) | Premier League | April 25
‘The one thing mentally that happens with Arsenal and Arsenal’s fanbase is because they’ve been so close during the last 4 years, it gets nervy, as a player you get tight, as a player you would like it so bad to find yourself doing less by attempting to do more.
‘I feel they’ve leaders but I don’t think they’ve those forms of leaders [Frank Lampard, John Terry and Vincent Kompany] because I don’t think those forms of leaders are in the sport any more. I feel they’ve the new edition of what leaders appear like, Gabriel, Saliba, Raya to an extent, Rice, you’re talking about top players who know what it’s like and can probably be captains for the national teams going forward, Jurrien Timber as well, he’s been an enormous miss, nobody’s talking about that, he’s gone out and that whole back line looks just a little bit weaker and that whole right side has stopped by way of attacking prowess as well.
‘I feel now each one in all them would must say there’s a nervous energy. There’s, they’re humans, they’ve gone from being clear favourites, quadruple three weeks ago to, ‘do you’re thinking that we’ll win anything?’. That’s the form of conversation that will likely be happening now.
‘As a player you may front it, ‘we’ll be okay, on to the subsequent one’, but if you drive home and also you hearken to the radio, you go on Instagram, you’re getting all this, it plays just a little bit behind your mind. You would possibly act such as you don’t hear it but they hear every part.’
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