“The freedom has gone a little bit from them” - Gary Neville identifies Arsenal ‘obsession’ that restricts them from matching Liverpool
Gary Neville has stated that Arsenal have become too rigid on the pitch and that has stopped them from catching Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title. He believes that Mikel Arteta has become obsessed with set pieces and that has become a big problem for the Gunners.
Speaking on his podcast, Neville stated that Arsenal have become over-reliant on set pieces and that has made their movement on the pitch rigid. He added that the players no longer have the freedom to move around on the pitch and create things on their own. He said via Mirror:
“Arsenal have become quite rigid, quite turgid to watch at times. This obsession with set-pieces overtaking the whole game, exacerbated by the presence of the set-piece coach (Nicolas Jover) on the touchline, puts more focus on set-pieces. And I think the freedom has gone a little bit from them. I know they have lost (Bukayo) Saka, (Gabriel) Jesus, and (Kai) Havertz, which are big blows and that is a big problem for Arsenal, but I still feel they have to do the job against West Ham at home.”
The Gunners finished second in the league in the last two seasons behind Manchester City. They are also second in the league table currently – 11 points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.
Gary Neville claims Arsenal made a mistake by not investing in January
Gary Neville went on to claim that Arsenal made a huge mistake by not signing players in the January window. He stated the Gunners knew about their injury issues and should have got in players who could have helped the club in their title charge. He said on his podcast via Mirror:
“It’s a defence but then you've got to plan for it. I know they didn't want to do business in the January transfer window - they thought there wasn't quite the value in the market or they couldn't get the player that would come in and impact them. But they have left themselves short, there's no doubt about that."
"The last two seasons they've gone very close and I've had a lot of admiration, but this season is more of a problem because when City weren't going to be there, the team that had to be there were Arsenal in my mind. It's not going to be them, it doesn't look like, and that's the big shock and surprise, and I think that'll be the one that will hit hardest in the boardroom, and (with) Mikel Arteta, and the dressing room and the players."
The Gunners will be without Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in attack for the rest of the season. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel are expected to make their return in the final weeks of the season.
