Arsenal boss Unai Emery has been urged to drop David Luiz from the starting XI to turn things around.
Gunners legend Martin Keown reckons if results don’t improve then Arsenal face the very real prospect of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette leaving.
Arsenal had to rely on Lacazette to rescue them a point in a 2-2 draw with Southampton on Saturday as the Frenchman bagged twice, including a 96th minute equaliser.
Summer signing Luiz came in for fierce criticism after the Brazilian, along with the rest of the Gunners defence, switched off as Nathan Redmond took a quick free-kick to set up Danny Ings for the opener.
Arsenal now sit eighth in the Premier League table, eight points off the top four, and Keown reckons Emery needs to make drastic changes at the back or failure to finish in the Champions League spots could cost them dearly.
“I warned against Arsenal signing David Luiz in August and I wonder if he should be taken out of the team now,” Keown wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“Certainly star players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lacazette will not be signing extensions unless things change.”
Keown’s former team-mate Tony Adams was also left stunned by Luiz’s part in Southampton’s opener.
“They’re all sleeping look at Luiz here,” Adams said on BT Sport. “What is Luiz doing? He’s just standing there.
“They’ve tried to play out from the back creating their own problems and they’re not into this game at all hopefully they might get a reaction.”
As for Arsenal’s concerns with Lacazette and Aubameyang, Mirror Sport understands they risk losing them next summer if Emery is still in charge.
Gunners chiefs have been trying to negotiate new deals for the pair but have failed to find a breakthrough in discussions.
Aubameyang is out of contract in 2021 and the north London outfit do not want to let him run into the final year of his deal at the risk of losing him for nothing.
Lacazette is under contract until 2022 but is hesitant on signing a new deal until he knows Champions League football is guaranteed.
Both players are set to be in action on Thursday night when the Gunners welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the Emirates (8pm).
