Football pundit Paul Merson slammed Arsenal following the 2-0 defeat against Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday.
The former Arsenal player accused the team of lacking mental strength and singled out Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka for criticism.
Merson described the Gunners as being a ‘lovely bunch of lads’ who ‘are not mentally strong enough’.
The former Gunners midfielder told Sky Sports: “If you want to keep on coming along making money and finishing fifth or sixth, nothing has to change. But if you want to break in, get to that level, it’s going to need a better mentality of player; I don’t think the players are mentally strong enough.
“I don’t see it – when it went 2-0 and the picture panned away and Bernardo Silva ran to the crowd, it was like Laurel and Hardy with Mesut Ozil, ‘that’s the end of that game’.
“They just seem like a lovely bunch of lads, not even Granit Xhaka is getting them to come on – you never see it with Arsenal.”
The playmaker of Turkish origin had his critics last season as well whenever things went wrong. To be fair Arsenal were not as bad as is being made out, the reigning champions just proved too good on the day.
The game was Unai Emery’s first Premier League match in charge of the Gunners and he is going to need time to implement his changes and get the summer signings settled.
The North London based have another huge game next against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.