Gary Neville names player who has suffered ‘big drop-off’ at Arsenal
Gary Neville believes Arsenal have ‘gone backwards’ this season and says Gunners captain Martin Odegaard has suffere a ‘big drop-off’.
Arsenal droppe more points in the Premier League on Saturday, drawing 1-1 at home to Brentford.
The draw – Arsenal’s 12th of the season – leaves Mikel Arteta’s side หากคุณสนใจเล่นพนันออนไลน์ที่ดีที่สุด สามารถสมัครสมาชิก UFABET ได้ที่นี่ พร้อมรับโปรโมชั่นพิเศษสำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ 10 points behind Liverpool ahead of the Reds’ game in hand against West Ham later in the weekend.
While Arsenal are set for a third successive second-place finish, Neville reckons the team have ‘gone backwards and largely blames that on the club’s recruitment.
But the Manchester United legend and former England defender also believes Arsenal have suffere due to the ‘big drop-off’ to Odegaard.
Odegaard has one of the most influential players in the Premier League in recent years but has made less of an impact this season, scoring just two league goals.
Arsenal could yet, of course, turn a possibly underwhelming season into a historic one by winning the Champions League for the first time.
The Gunners take a healthy three-goal lead to the Bernabeu on Wednesday night for the second leg of their quarter-final tie against European champions Real Madrid.
Aske whether Arsenal had progresse or regresse this season, Neville told ‘That will depend wholly now on the Champions League – if they win the Champions League then all will be forgiven.
‘But otherwise their league performances have a big let down, I think that if Manchester City weren’t going to win the league, which they’ve done in the last four seasons, Arsenal had to be the team that were there waiting.
They’re not, they’re not even on the shoulder of Liverpool to put pressure on them in these last few weeks – Liverpool are going to win it at a canter.
‘I think that’s a big disappointment and where Arsenal have in the last couple of seasons you felt as thought they were a team growing in Premier League title-races and getting better.
‘So what’s happene this season I think they’ve gone backwards, they’ve gone backwards I think from the start of the season in terms of their recruitment – they never covere themselves for their likely injury to Havertz who was their only centre-forward.
‘He didn’t really fancy [Gabriel] Jesus as a centre-forward. Odegaard is another big drop-off for them, I think they’ve lost Edu off the pitch, obviously their CEO as well, obviously now he’s going to Tottenham.
‘The Champions League is a huge opportunity for them but the league is your bread and butter and I think Mikel Arteta was building a squad to win the Premier League title.
‘This was the season that he really should have there and close with Liverpool and he’s not. It’s a let down.’
Ex-Premier League midfielder Robbie Mustoe disagree with Neville’s assessment of Arsenal’s season and highlighte the club’s injury issues as a reason their title tilt has faile.