‘It’s disarray, hard to find positives’: Joe Cole SLAMS Arsenal’s pitiful display at Man City as furious supporters turn on Mikel Arteta, with Piers Morgan leading calls for him to be sacked
- Arsenal went in 3-0 down at half-time and with 10-men on the field at Man City
- Granit Xhaka was sent-off for a wild challenge on full-back Joao Cancelo
- Mikel Arteta’s days look numbered, with Arsenal yet to even score this season
- Joe Cole was baffled by the performance in a 5-0 loss, with fans furious online
The Arsenal implosion continues to baffle and frustrate, with Joe Cole blasting the Gunners after their collapse at Manchester City while fans piled-in to Mikel Arteta.
The fallen London giants went in 3-0 down at the Etihad with calamitous defending and mindless mistakes characterising their play. Granit Xhaka’s 35th minute sending-off for a wild challenge on Joao Cancelo was simply self-punishment, before Pep Guardiola’s men bagged another two goals.
Three games into the Premier League season the Gunners still haven’t scored a goal, instead watching nine fly past Bernd Leno in their worst start to a Premier League season in 118 years.
Arsenal were thumped 5-0 by Manchester City on Saturday as their crisis further deepened
Granit Xhaka (right) was sent-off in the 35th minute for a mindless challenge on Joao Cancelo
‘It’s hard to find positives for Arsenal because at times it’s been disarray,’ ex-Chelsea star Cole said on BT Sport pundity duty.
‘You have to stay on your feet, stay concentrated and don’t do anything rash. In modern football you cannot leave the floor.
‘Granit Xhaka has done it many times before – he’s just signed a new contract, he’s a senior player on the pitch. In a moment when you need someone to have a cool head, he’s gone through him and it’s a sending-off.’
Jolean Lescott added: ‘It’s an erratic tackle. It’s going out for a throw in the final third, there’s no need to make that tackle.’
Xhaka went in with two feet and left Arsenal with a huge uphill task on Saturday afternoon
Joe Cole (left) said Arsenal are in disarray as the defeat leaves Mikel Arteta under real pressure
Arteta has spoken of his ‘project’ at Arsenal since he joined but it’s becoming painfully obvious that the former Gunners midfielder is struggling to find the answer to this deepening crisis.
Arsenal legend Martin Keown, who watched the match from the commentary box, was in disbelief after the final whistle.
‘I feel numb. I wouldn’t say embarrassed but it is becoming a little bit embarrassing,’ he told BT Sport. ‘The game now against Norwich (after the international break) now takes on a different shape completely, it’s a huge game.
‘You could be looking at the two bottom sides, and the way Arsenal are performing, and tactically the way we set up is very naive. Today was exactly the same. I don’t think at any point it was really a game today. Xhaka getting sent off doesn’t help and you don’t expect that from your most senior player.
‘Even before that, the goals we were conceding were comical. It does feel like the manager is playing a big part in this. It’s too complex, it’s too difficult for the players to understand. It’s a really sad day for Arsenal football club.’
Gunners fans can’t believe where they’ve have fallen to from the heights under Arsene Wenger
Any lingering support for the manager is dwindling in the fanbase as well, with Piers Morgan among those who have had enough and called for Arteta to be sacked.
He tweeted: ‘Xhaka is braindead. What a stupid reckless tackle.
‘Arteta actually gave Xhaka a congratulatory pat for getting stupidly sent off when we were already being thrashed. He should be fired for that alone. This perfectly sums up Arteta’s leadership – weak weak weak.’
‘Jokes aside, I honestly think we could be relegated this season if we don’t sack Arteta soon,’ another fan added on Twitter.