'Stick all of them on the transfer list!' - Gary Neville slams Arsenal 'shambles'

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Standard Sport27 August 2017

Arsene Wenger took a few gambles with his team selection as Arsenal travelled to Liverpool for Sunday's Premier League clash, but few onlookers - least of all Gary Neville - expected such a spectacular collapse from the Gunners.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side were dominant from the first whistle at Anfield, with Wenger's players unsure of their roles and careless in possession.

Petr Cech was rushed into action time and again in the first half as the goalkeeper made a number of smart stops to deny Liverpool, but the hosts deservedly took the lead as Roberto Firmino headed home unmarked after 17 minutes.

Sadio Mane added Liverpool's second with a superb curling effort five minutes before the interval, though in truth Arsenal were lucky to get to half-time just the two goals down.

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The Gunners' misery was compounded 12 minutes after the restart as Hector Bellerin miscontrolled a clearance from an Arsenal corner, allowing Mohamed Salah the length of the field to run uncontested before slotting past Cech.

Naturally for Manchester United Neville - a conservative defender by trade - Arsenal's performance left a lot to be desired.

Regarding a number of Arsenal players who are being linked with moves away from the club, Neville said while commentating for Sky Sports: "I'd stick all of them on the transfer list... there aren't many of them that'll get a better club than where they're at.

"Three or four of these Arsenal players want to leave. Who wants to buy them? They better hope none of the scouts are here."

Firmino's free header drew frustration from Neville - "It’s a big game away from home and there’s no meat about them" - but there was more stinging criticism to come.

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As Mane rounded the Arsenal defence before finishing, Neville said: "I'm not a Liverpool fan but this Arsenal team deserve a battering.

"What Mane does is predictable but it’s a great finish."

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In one particularly galling passage of play for Arsenal shortly after the half-hour mark, they failed to clear their lines as Granit Xhaka conceded a corner after attempting a failed backheel pass to Petr Cech across the six-yard box.

Neville simply responded in disbelief: "Xhaka has just tried to back-heel it to his goalkeeper in his own six-yard box. Words fail me."

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Bellerin's poor control for Liverpool's third drew similar criticism: "He can’t take a touch there... shambles from the Arsenal man."

Graeme Souness was similarly shocked by the Gunners' performance, telling Sky Sports at half-time: "Arsenal play completely off the cuff, they are like a group of schoolboys thrown out there and just told to win the game.

"It beggars belief for a big football club to be playing like this. You just don’t know what messages they are being told."