Lee Dixon says Arsenal are unfixable under Arsene Wenger

Joey Barton reveals he's been visited by police 'four times in three days' over his tweets and hits out at 'an attempt to intimidate me and my family'... as he compares the UK to North Korea
'Good harvesting this week my fellow farmers': Mats Hummels takes a swipe at the Premier League after FOUR English teams crashed out of Europe this week
Emi Martinez is shown TWO yellow cards but little-known rule means he AVOIDS being sent off for winding up Lille fans during penalty shootout… before Villa keeper saves decisive spot-kick
'Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are in DANGER of becoming Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham,' claims Jamie Carragher... as ex-Liverpool defender pinpoints what Gunners must do this summer to take the next step
Seb Coe explains why he's HAPPY to break 128 years of Olympic tradition by handing out cash for gold... and reveals Roman Abramovich's unlikely role in athletics
Max Verstappen priced at 1/6 to make it four wins out of five this season at Chinese Grand Prix - with Lewis Hamilton 40/1 to secure his first victory since December 2021
EFL in UPROAR over decision to scrap FA Cup replays from next season - with surprised clubs branding it a 'DISGRACE' and furious executives claiming they will seek compensation
Chinese Grand Prix's sole practice session disrupted by a shock FIRE... with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll beating Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton ahead of this weekend
Ronald Araujo offers blunt response to Ilkay Gundogan's criticism that his red card against PSG fueled Champions League exit... amid toxic Barcelona dressing room split
Five English teams in the Champions League would be an insult to Busby, Clough and Paisley, writes IAN LADYMAN. It's the closest the big clubs could get to a European Super League
'I don't think that was aimed at you': Wayne Rooney leaves gaming team-mates in hysterics with deadpan comment after 'fat granny s***ger' jibe as the Man United and England legend plays EA Sports FC Pro Clubs
Scottie Scheffler priced as 9/2 favourite to win back-to-back Masters titles in 2025 - with 2023 champion Jon Rahm at 10/1 and Tiger Woods out at 125/1 to record sixth Augusta triumph
Jurgen Klopp insists it's vital Liverpool are 'back to winning ways' amid Premier League title charge despite being knocked out of Europe by Atalanta… and says it's 'insane' that Trent started
Man United 'receive significant FFP windfall' from January transfer after Borussia Dortmund reach Champions League semi-finals
Liverpool supporters express their frustration after shocking Alisson stat emerges following the Reds' Europa League exit against Atalanta
Liverpool failed but gave fans hope that the Jurgen Klopp era can still have a magical ending, writes LEWIS STEELE
West Ham gave everything against a team that appear to be invincible, writes KATHRYN BATTE as Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen reach Europa League semis
PLAYER RATINGS: Two Liverpool stars score just 5/10 as Jurgen Klopp's side fail to deliver comeback against Atalanta to crash out of Europa League
Former Newcastle cult hero is named head coach of UAE side Al Qabila... as club set social media ablaze with their fawning video reveal lauding 'legendary' defender with 'unmatched' experience
Ryan Garcia agrees to pay WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney £400,000 per POUND he is over the weight limit during Friday's weigh-in as concerns over their clash continue
The Premier League is poisoning our game and their hand in having FA Cup replays scrapped is another spoonful of arsenic down the throats of the smaller clubs, writes OLIVER HOLT
Mo Salah's first-half miss proves crucial in Liverpool's Europa League defeat by Atalanta as Peter Crouch insists 'it's not that difficult' and proves the Egyptian is out of form
Arsenal identify THREE positions to strengthen in the summer in wake of Champions League exit, with significant funds to be made available for transfers
Liverpool lacked the 'belief' required to pull off comeback at Atalanta, says Peter Crouch after his former club crashed out of the Europa League as he insists Reds were 'disappointing'

Arsenal were defeated 3-1 on Sunday by Manchester City in the Premier League
The Gunners now sit 12 points off league leaders City after just 11 matches
Arsenal face north London rivals Tottenham following the international break

Published: 18:12 EDT, 7 November 2017 | Updated: 05:31 EDT, 8 November 2017

e-mail

136

View
comments

Arsenal legend Lee Dixon believes that his former club can't fix their problems under Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners were defeated 3-1 by Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday, leaving them 12 points adrift of Pep Guardiola's men already after just 11 matches.

Arsenal failed to convince once again in defence against one of their Premier League rivals at the Etihad Stadium on the weekend.

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon believes the club are 'unfixable' under Arsene Wenger

And these defensive issues are continuing to concern former Arsenal right back Dixon, who claims Wenger doesn't know how to properly set up his players when they don't have possession of the ball.

Dixon told BBC 5 Live: 'I honestly think they're unfixable under Arsene. What he's got there is he's created an environment which the players don't really know what they're doing without the ball.

'It's quite simple - when I watch them I think "they could beat anyone on their day going forward, but they could lose to anyone defensively".

'That summed it up at the weekend against City. The Lacazette thing is another issue, as to why he's not playing, but you play Sanchez up front, who is a chaser of the ball; if he loses the ball then he'll chase to win it back.

Arsenal were defeated 3-1 by Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon

'If you've got that, as a manager, you have to have the players to go and back that up, and he didn't have that. He hasn't got that because they don't know how to do that on a regular basis - they are not a pressing side.

'They do it now and again - they did it against Chelsea, they got it right against Chelsea in the cup final and in the league, and you think "wow, they're back".

'And then they fall again like they did against Watford, and then you see them trying to press Man City, one of the best passing sides in the league. How is that allowed to happen?

'If you're not a pressing side, then you have to press for months and years at a time in order to get it right, it's really difficult. It's not just a case of "you all just rush to the ball".

Dixon claims Wenger doesn't know how to set up Arsenal when they don't have the ball

'There have to be triggers, and you need to know when to press - which is just as hard as knowing when not to press if you're a pressing side, because sometimes you have to unpress, if you like, and just sit where you are.

'Just running willy-nilly at the ball is a disaster, especially against City.'

Goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus on Sunday meant that Arsenal have lost four times in just 11 games this season.

Arsenal will be desperate to bounce back to winning ways following the international break when they face north London rivals Tottenham at the Emirates on November 18.