In response to Gary Neville, Mikel Arteta has already commented amid concerns for the Arsenal duo

Mikel Arteta has already commented on Arsenal’s recent defensive performance amid concerns and criticism from Gary Neville following Saturday’s 3-2 home win against Bournemouth.

The former Manchester United star has explained how Arsenal need to stop conceding if they are to have any chance of winning their first Premier League title in 19 years under Manchester City under their belt.

The Gunners have surprised just about everyone with their form this season and after 26 games played, Arteta’s men are top of the table and five points clear of nearest challengers City.

However, recent matches have seen Arsenal show signs of defensive weakness which will no doubt affect the Emirates coaching staff. The leaders had to come from behind from 2-0 down last weekend to beat 19th-placed Bournemouth at home thanks to a 97th-minute winner from Reiss Nelson.

The Cherries’ opener silenced the Emirates in the early stages, coming just after kick-off and hitting the back of the net within nine seconds. These defensive errors appear to be why Marcel still thinks City will take the Gunners to the post when it comes to winning the league.

Arsenal effectively started the season defensively, with Gabriel and William Saliba forming a strong foundation at the heart of the Gunners’ backline and Aaron Ramsdale in inspired form.

However, there were allegations that the central back pair had failed on the pitch following their recent 1-0 away win at Leicester, but Arteta was quick to debunk speculation of an actual relapse and spoke highly of how the pair separate at best.
“They are in a happy marriage, they like to play together,” said the Spaniard. “But they are very demanding of each other and that’s good! It’s okay.”

Meanwhile, Neville remains unconvinced as he reflects on Arsenal’s dramatic victory over Bournemouth while speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, as he explained: “But they’ve really given themselves a hard time.