Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes David de Gea has lost his confidence with Manchester United recently.
United ’s number one attracted heavy criticism following the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford in midweek and was at fault again against top-four rivals Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side took the lead through Juan Mata but the Blues equalised before the interval, as De Gea could not hold onto Antonio Rudiger’s effort from distance and allowed Marcos Alonso to tap home.
Wenger did not criticise the 28-year-old, identifying a wonderful performance he showed against Arsenal last season, but believes he has encountered problems.
“To me it looks like he has lost confidence. De Gea was never quite a good cross taker but on his line he was unbeatable,” he told BeIn Sports.
“I remember last year when we played against them we had 33 shots on goal, he made 15 saves, and recently he’s not completely, mentally as sharp as he was before.
“It looks to me like when he concedes a goal he thinks ‘I should have done better there’ and in every game he goes down in confidence.”
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville also spoke about the Spain international and believes he needs the summer to recuperate after what has been a turbulent campaign.
“I remember I had a nightmare time towards the end of the 1999/2000 season and I just needed the summer,” he said while on commentary duty for Sky Sports.
“He needs the summer, he needs to clear his head, get away from football, reset. It’s so difficult for him at the moment.”
Gary Neville gives verdict on Manchester United's 'unusual' preparations for Chelsea
