Manchester United legend, Gary Neville has identified Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard as the Gunners player who had suffered a “big drop-off” this season.
Neville also said that Arsenal have gone backwards compared to their performance last season.
He spoke following Arsenal’s Premier League 1-1 draw against Brentford on Saturday.
Asked if Arsenal had progressed or regressed this season, Neville told NBC Sports: “That will depend wholly now on the Champions League – if they win the Champions League then all will be forgiven.
“But otherwise their league performances have been a big let down, I think that if Manchester City were not going to win the league, which they have done in the last four seasons, Arsenal had to be the team that were there waiting.
“So what is happened this season I think they have gone backwards, they have gone backwards I think from the start of the season in terms of their recruitment – they never covered themselves for their likely injury to Havertz who was their only centre-forward.
“He didn’t really fancy [Gabriel] Jesus as a centre-forward. Odegaard is another big drop-off for them.”
Arsenal are in second position in the Premier League table behind leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta’s side have 63 points from 32 games played so far in the English-top flight league.
