Arsenal 'cowards' slammed over Anfield drubbing
Having been torn to pieces in their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Liverpool, a similar fate befell Arsene Wenger's Arsenal in the post-match post-mortems.
Wenger under scrutiny... again
Having been torn to pieces in their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Liverpool, a similar fate befell Arsene Wenger's Arsenal in the post-match post-mortems. Wenger's players were variously described as 'lazy', 'pathetic', 'arrogant' and 'disgraceful', while the manager himself is under scrutiny once again just three months after signing a new two-year contract.
'Cowards'
'Last season, I called them 'cowards',' former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports after Sunday's match. 'And afterwards maybe I got a little bit of criticism. Maybe that's a bit too strong and you can't say that on live TV, but I'll say it again -- cowards.'
Arsenal's defeat, their second in succession after a 1-0 loss at Stoke City, exhibited failings that have become endemic under Wenger. Defensive disorganisation allowed Liverpool to take control of the game and Arsenal's over-eagerness to get back into the match left them hopelessly exposed on the counter-attack.
Liverpool's third goal, scored by Mohamed Salah in the 57th minute, summed up the Arsenal malaise.
Attitudes' questioned
Furious Arsenal fans on Twitter pointed out that in the build-up to Roberto Firmino's first-half opener, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were not even looking at the ball.
'How can you play like this in a big game for so many of Arsenal's players?' asked former Manchester United captain Gary Neville. 'Forget not turning up, forget not playing well, but just the general attitude or lack of respect for the shirt from three or four of them in not running back and not bothering is disgraceful', he said.
Arsenal great Thierry Henry, analysing the game for Sky Sports, confessed: 'At one point I wanted to leave. I didn't want to watch the game any more. It's too much to take.' While it was Arsenal's defensive shortcomings that were exhibited at Anfield, the player who featured on almost all the British newspapers' sports pages was star forward Alexis Sanchez.