Arsenal fans slammed over Arteta sack calls and wanting ‘unbelievable’ star dumped to the bench | OneFootball

Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has hit back at Arsenal supporters who are calling for Mikel Arteta to be sacked and Martin Zubimendi dropped after the title-damaging 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Goals from Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott stunned the Gunners and now means that if Manchester City win their two games in hand, starting with Sunday’s clash with Chelsea, they will be just three points behind in the Premier League title race.

The defeat was Arsenal‘s third in their last four outings in all competitions, including losing to City in the Carabao Cup final and crashing out of the FA Cup to Championship side Southampton.

Victory over Sporting in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals was sandwiched in between, but the crushing home defeat to the Cherries had some Gunners fans up in arms.

Indeed, responding to supporters’ calls for the club to sack Arteta during CBS Sports’ post-match analysis, Deeney said: “They’re not going to sack him because he has moved that club astronomically forward from where it was, they’re always in contention now and being spoken about as one of the best teams in world football, and rightly so.

“But this is why Arsenal fans… this is why I love you, and why you love me, because when it’s right and when they’re winning they’re hammering me, now… ‘sack him’?! He’s top of the league, they’re in the Champions League, now it’s, ‘sack him, get rid of him’. Who are you going to bring in?

“I just want to ask you this question Arsenal fans, remember before [they said] they didn’t have any strikers? Gyokeres, Havertz and Jesus all played today, I said he [Gyokeres] would score in these games, it’s the big games that matter, has he scored against Liverpool yet, has he scored against Man City yet?”

Arsenal fans turning on Zubimendi

CBS Sports’ host, Adam Hunt, then read out criticism from another Arsenal supporter aimed at £60million summer signing Zubimendi, whose form has dropped off during the second half of the season.

“Arsenal have a bad No.6 in Zubimendi and they don’t have a main man leading their attack,” Hunt said.

Deeney replied with a laugh: “Oh my god, a bad No.6 in Zubimendi?

“Literally a week ago, Nigel Reo Coker, who played the position to an unbelievable level, talking about he [Zubimendi] is one of the best players in Europe.

“Also Arsenal fans, three weeks ago, talking about he is the signing of the season, most underrated signing. What are we doing here?”

Meanwhile, Deeney also responded to a Gunners fan who criticised Arteta for leaving former Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard on the bench.

“There’s an Arsenal fan out there that thinks the reason they’re not winning is because Norgaard is not playing?” he asked with a smile.

“They’re calling for Norgaard… they’re calling for a holding midfielder.”

Arteta’s men will be hoping to bounce back against Sporting on Wednesday night before a titanic tussle with City on April 19 that could effectively decide the title race.