Phil Jones labels two Arsenal stars ‘weak’ after ‘fragile’ performances vs Man Utd

Former Manchester United star Phil Jones has labelled the performances of Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba ‘weak’ after their defeat to Manchester United.

United stunned the Gunners at the Emirates on Sunday with Matheus Cunha’s late strike sealing a 3-2 win in north London in another triumph for Michael Carrick.

The victory reduced Arsenal’s lead at the summit of the Premier League to just four points with 15 games of the league campaign remaining.

Bryan Mbeumo, deployed up top for United, equalised for the visitors after Arsenal’s opener, capitalising on an error at the back from Martin Zubimendi with a pass from Saliba doing little to help the Spaniard.

Gabriel also struggled with Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger describing the pair as ‘nervous’ on the day.

Former United and England defender Jones added ‘fear and desperation’ ran through the Arsenal team and around the stadium as the prospect of another slip-up began to emerge, insisting Gabriel and Saliba ‘were the most fragile I have ever seen them’ up against his former side.

‘I Iike Gabriel and Saliba, I think they have been top quality centre-halves but it was the most fragile I have ever seen them at the weekend,’ Jones told the Sports Illustrated FC podcast.  

‘I thought they looked nervous, I thought there was a lack of a relationship between the two. They sensed a fear in the stadium, that anxiety.

‘They weren’t poor by any stretch by they looked fragile and a bit weak at times and it is the most fractious I have seen those two.

‘You can sense that fear and desperation of wanting it so much, it is almost infectious. When United equalised it ran through the team.’

With his side trailing, Mikel Arteta made three changes before the hour mark, replacing his captain Martin Odegaard with Mikel Merino.

Odegaard was one of the clutch of Arsenal players who let the game pass them by with Jones arguing he was not up for the physical battle in the middle of the park.

‘I thought for big periods in the game they struggled physically and it is not something you would associate with Arsenal,’ Jones said.

‘Odegaard was overrun at times with Untied players in there and I could see the substitution coming.

‘He didn’t really influence the game how he would have liked and struggled with the physical demands of the game.’