Arsenal legend explains why Arsene Wenger’s side continually fall short after PSG draw

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The full-blown November blues have not quite set in, but Arsenal’s performance levels have dropped recently.

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has told Sky Sports that Wedneday’s draw with PSG once again highlighted The Gunners’ mental block.

After Alex Iwobi had turned a tame Lucas Moura header into his own net with just over ten minutes remaining, Arsenal nearly ended up with nothing at all to show from their home clash with the Ligue 1 Champions when Edinson Cavani nodded narrowly off target in the closing stages.

Arsene Wenger’s side have been knocked out of the Champions League in the round-of-16 in each of the last six seasons and, with second place in the group beckoning after the midweek draw, Arsenal could face the likes of Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund or Juventus in the next stage.

And Smith believes his former side, who were outplayed in both encounters against PSG and were fortunate to grab a point off Manchester United at the weekend, will never achieve their aims if they continue to perform with the same mentality.

“There’s never going to be a full-blown crisis at Arsenal because they’ve got too many players to win games and stay at a level, as in top four. But it’s going that extra step,” Smith told Sky Sports.

“And we were hoping this year that they can go that extra step, but it’s that mental approach, that psychological barrier that prevents them from doing that.

“It’s not a disaster to finish second to PSG, I think we’ve got to get that right, because PSG are a very good side and they showed that last night at the Emirates.

“Arsenal have got history of finishing second and suffering. They’re not in the best of form, the Manchester United performance was shockingly poor in many ways.”

The Gunners’ endured their annual springtime collapse last season, exiting the Champions League and throwing away their chances of lifting the Premier League in a matter of weeks to pile yet more pressure on Arsene Wenger.

And, while the current crop represents arguably the club’s strongest squad since the ‘Invincibles’ of 2004, they are yet to prove that they can handle the cut-throat nature of the season’s defining moments.