Arsene Wenger has enough problems on his hands as he endures the annual collapse of Arsenal’s title bid.
The Gunners are now 12 points behind Chelsea after losing 3-1 to the Blues on Saturday.
Wenger must be well aware of their shortcomings, so the last thing he needs is his own players taking shots at his team selection.
It’s true that Arsenal looked horribly exposed, but questions also have to be raised over their mentality as they once again wilted.
Yet, Laurent Koscielny has alluded to the first problem by telling the Mirror:
“I think we played some players in front of others and I think we should have played more as a team and there was space to do so. They hit us on the counter.”
And reflecting on his side’s title hopes, the centre-back added:
“It will be difficult now. Mathematically, nothing is done but we know that it is going to be very complicated.”
Some of Wenger’s more questionable decisions may have been out of his hands.
Danny Welbeck started on the bench despite looking in fine form since his return from a lengthy injury. That led Arsenal to employ Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil on either side of Alexis Sanchez, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alex Iwobi also struggling to make an impact.
Wenger’s contract is up at the end of the season and it remains to be seen what his long-term future holds, but it may well depend on how his players perform for him over the next months.
Check out Football Advisor for profitable betting predictions
