Troy Deeney slams Arsenal fans for criticising £60m signing after Bournemouth defeat

Troy Deeney could not believe the criticism directed at Mikel Arteta and Martin Zubimendi after Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth (CBS Sports)

Troy Deeney has hit back at Arsenal supporters who have called on Mikel Arteta to drop Martin Zubimendi after the 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side delivered another unconvincing performance as Junior Kroupi put Bournemouth ahead before Viktor Gyokeres equalised from the penalty spot.

Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut chances in the second half and Alex Scott sealed the win for Bournemouth in the 74th minute.

The result means Arsenal remain nine points clear at the top of the Premier League but Manchester City now have two games in hand and also play the Gunners next Sunday.

Responding to supporters calling 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.

A section of Arsenal fans have called on the club to sack Mikel Arteta after the Bournemouth loss (Shutterstock)

‘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?’

CBS Sports’ host, Adam Hunt, then read out criticism from an Arsenal fan towards Zubimendi, who has impressed since his £60 million move last summer.

‘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?’

Martin Zubimendi has faced calls from Arsenal fans to be dropped from the team (MB Media/Getty)

Deeney also responded to an Arsenal fan who criticised Arteta for leaving 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.’

Deeney also believes there is now a ‘nervous energy’ in the Arsenal squad following the defeat to Bournemouth.

‘I think when you go back, moments like Declan Rice after games, he was videoed saying, ‘happens all the time’, City had lost and they drew the game [against Nottingham Forest], he knows these are key moments,’ Deeney said.

‘Let’s talk about the mental side of it from a player’s point of view, you start to believe the hype after a little while.

‘Let’s use Declan as an example, he’s one of the best all-round midfielders in world football, probably in the top five, you start to hear maybe he will win a Ballon d’Or, maybe this year he wins three or four trophies and the World Cup, Bukayo Saka has just got a brand new contract, you start to believe this is your season.

‘The one thing mentally that happens with Arsenal and Arsenal’s fanbase is because they’ve been so close over the last four years, it gets nervy, as a player you get tight, as a player you want it so bad to end up doing less by trying to do more.

‘I think they have leaders but I don’t think they have those types of leaders [Frank Lampard, John Terry and Vincent Kompany] because I don’t think those types of leaders are in the game any more. I think they have the new version of what leaders look like, Gabriel, Saliba, Raya to an extent, Rice, you’re talking about top players who know what it’s like and will probably be captains for the national teams going forward, Jurrien Timber as well, he’s been a big miss, no one’s talking about that, he’s gone out and that whole back line looks a little bit weaker and that whole right side has stopped in terms of attacking prowess as well.

‘I think now every single one of them would have to say there’s a nervous energy. There is, they’re humans, they’ve gone from being clear favourites, quadruple three weeks ago to, ‘do you think we’ll win anything?’. That’s the kind of conversation that will be happening now.

‘As a player you can front it, ‘we’ll be okay, on to the next one’, but when you drive home and you listen to the radio, you go on Instagram, you’re getting all this, it plays a little bit in the back of your mind. You might act like you don’t hear it but they hear everything.’