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.<\/p>\n
Mikel Arteta\u2019s side delivered one other unconvincing performance as Junior Kroupi put Bournemouth ahead before Viktor Gyokeres equalised from the penalty spot.<\/p>\n
Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut possibilities within the second half and Alex Scott sealed the win for Bournemouth within the 74th minute.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Responding to supporters calling for the club to sack Arteta during CBS Sports\u2019 post-match evaluation, Deeney said: \u2018They\u2019re not going to sack him because he has moved that club astronomically forward from where it was, they\u2019re all the time in contention now and being spoken about as probably the greatest teams in world football, and rightly so.<\/p>\n \u2018But that is why Arsenal fans\u2026 that is why I really like you, and why you like me, because when it\u2019s right and once they\u2019re winning they\u2019re hammering me, now\u2026 \u2018sack him\u2019?! He\u2019s top of the league, they\u2019re within the Champions League, now it\u2019s, \u2018sack him, do away with him\u2019. Who’re you going to herald?<\/p>\n \u2018I just wish to ask you this query Arsenal fans, remember before [they said] they didn\u2019t have any strikers? Gyokeres, Havertz and Jesus all played today, I said he [Gyokeres] would rating in these games, it\u2019s the large games that matter, has he scored against Liverpool yet, has he scored against Man City yet?\u2019<\/p>\n CBS Sports\u2019 host, Adam Hunt, then read out criticism from an Arsenal fan towards Zubimendi, who has impressed since his \u00a360 million move last summer.<\/p>\n \u2018Arsenal have a foul No.6 in Zubimendi they usually don\u2019t have a principal man leading their attack,\u2019 Hunt said.<\/p>\n Deeney replied with fun: \u2018Oh my god, a foul No.6 in Zubimendi?<\/p>\n \u2018Literally 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.<\/p>\n \u2018Also Arsenal fans, three weeks ago, talking about he’s the signing of the season, most underrated signing. What are we doing here?\u2019<\/p>\n Deeney also responded to an Arsenal fan who criticised Arteta for leaving Christian Norgaard on the bench.<\/p>\n \u2018There\u2019s an Arsenal fan on the market that thinks the explanation they\u2019re not winning is because Norgaard shouldn’t be playing?\u2019 he asked with a smile.<\/p>\n \u2018They\u2019re calling for Norgaard\u2026 they\u2019re calling for a holding midfielder.\u2019<\/p>\n Deeney also believes there’s now a \u2018nervous energy\u2019 within the Arsenal squad following the defeat to Bournemouth.<\/p>\n \u2018I feel if you return, moments like Declan Rice after games, he was videoed saying, \u2018happens on a regular basis\u2019, City had lost they usually drew the sport [against Nottingham Forest], he knows these are key moments,\u2019 Deeney said.<\/p>\n \u2018Let\u2019s talk in regards to the mental side of it from a player\u2019s standpoint, you begin to imagine the hype after just a little while.<\/p>\n \u2018Let\u2019s use Declan for example, he\u2019s 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\u2019Or, 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.<\/p>\n Sporting CP (H) | Champions League | April 15 \u2018The one thing mentally that happens with Arsenal and Arsenal\u2019s fanbase is because they\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n \u2018I feel they’ve leaders but I don\u2019t think they’ve those forms of leaders [Frank Lampard, John Terry and Vincent Kompany] because I don\u2019t 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\u2019re talking about top players who know what it\u2019s like and can probably be captains for the national teams going forward, Jurrien Timber as well, he\u2019s been an enormous miss, nobody\u2019s talking about that, he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u2018I feel now each one in all them would must say there\u2019s a nervous energy. There’s, they\u2019re humans, they\u2019ve gone from being clear favourites, quadruple three weeks ago to, \u2018do you’re thinking that we\u2019ll win anything?\u2019. That\u2019s the form of conversation that will likely be happening now.<\/p>\n \u2018As a player you may front it, \u2018we\u2019ll be okay, on to the subsequent one\u2019, but if you drive home and also you hearken to the radio, you go on Instagram, you\u2019re getting all this, it plays just a little bit behind your mind. You would possibly act such as you don\u2019t hear it but they hear every part.\u2019<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the newest news on ![\"EDITORIAL](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_292766665-0eb5.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646\")
\t<\/div>![\"LONDON,](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_292768317-4aae.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646\")
\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tArsenal’s next three fixtures\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
Man City (A) | Premier League | April 19
Newcastle United (H) | Premier League | April 25<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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