Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno ‘isolated’ by lack of defensive partnership, claims Charlie Nicholas

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Arsenal have been struggling defensively and the Gunners cult hero had a scathing rebuke for Unai Emery and co.

Arsenal cult hero and Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has issued a scathing rebuke of the Gunners’ back line ahead of their Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace, admitting he feels sorry for goalkeeper Bernd Leno due to his teammates’ defensive issues (Sky Sports).

The Emirates Stadium side have been struggling on the defensive side recently, with both their last two games, against Sheffield United and Vitoria, seeing their back line exposed – in the latter, only substitute Nicolas Pepe’s late free kicks spared the Gunners’ blushes.

Up next for Arsenal is Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday and it remains to be seen what back line Unai Emery will select, given he used a different one in the Europa League game to the one which lost to the Blades.

“Unai Emery has come under scrutiny from some supporters and they are starting to ask questions,” Nicholas wrote on Sky Sports. “Why have they paid the money for Kieran Tierney and are not playing him, despite getting him fit? Why are you not playing Hector Bellerin when fit? I do not understand why he gets these players fit and he doesn’t play them.

“Bernd Leno makes some mistakes and is young, but he is left completely and utterly isolated by the lack of a defensive partnership. I feel sorry for him. David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos high five each other when they give corners away. Matteo Guendouzi has good energy and covers the ground well, but he is too young to understand the protective role and needs someone in beside him to pivot him and look after him.

“These players have a soft belly but they are supposed to provoke and win the little scraps. I would be more interested in Lucas Torreira beside Guendouzi or even Ainsley Maitland-Niles could do it with his speed.”

Arsenal are unbeaten at home in this season’s Premier League, winning three of their four matches at the Emirates, but they have kept just one clean sheet in those games, but on the plus side, Palace have scored just eight goals in nine league games this season, failing to score in four (BBC Sport).