Luiz was sent off in the 49th minute, as Arsenal suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of City away from home at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Wednesday evening.
The 33-year-old, who had come on as a first-half substitute for the Gunners, was at fault for Raheem Sterling’s goal and gave away the penalty for the home team’s second.
Former Arsenal star Merson, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, believes that lack of fans at the Etihad Stadium affected Luiz, and has suggested that the Gunners hand him a new contract on a lower wage.
Merson wrote in The Daily Star: “What happened against Manchester City is not going to help him. His concentration levels are bad anyway but when you play with no crowd it’s even harder.
“It’s 100 per cent a big issue for him. The fans keep you honest. They keep your concentration levels up.
“When there’s no crowd your concentration levels dip a little and that happened with Luiz. He made mistakes and got sent off.
“He’s never going to cut those mistakes out. But if you’re looking at the all-round package, it could work at the right wages.”
Arsenal stay?
Luiz joined Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer of 2019, and although he has not been great, he has played well in a lot of matches.
The Brazil international’s contract at the Gunners is up for renewal, and it remains to be seen if the North London outfit do extend it.
It would make sense for Arsenal to keep Luiz, who can also operate as a defensive midfielder, for another year, as the Gunners may not qualify for the Champions League and may not be able to attract top-quality defenders in the summer transfer window.
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