Emmanuel Petit launched a violent attack against his former club, Arsenal, saying to the players: “Shut up and do the right thing on the pitch.”
The gunners have been hit since the Premier League resumed after the three-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
And Petit, who has won a brace in the Premier League and FA Cup at Arsenal, says he would like to play with players because they desperately need a leader in the locker room.
“Arsenal looks like an average team with no spirit, no anger or pride,” said Petit. “I saw them against Brighton at the end of the game, trying to fight Neal Maupay, but that made me laugh.
(Image: Philip Coburn)
“You make me laugh, guys, honestly. Shut up and do the right thing on the court.
“Against Brighton I was so crazy about the behavior of the players that I wanted to be in the locker room to say to someone: ‘Shut up, what the fuck do you think you are?
“Nobody is doing it on the team. There are no leaders, no characters.
“They were winning a zero away from home, knowing that every point is vital for European qualification and you left the game this way.
“Then full time they go to Maupay to blame him for what happened to Bernd Leno, but things like that happen in every game.
(Image: REUTERS)
“They are trying to avoid taking on their responsibilities. I just want to tell them one thing: fight during the game. Do your homework.
“The spirit that we had on our team, with Patrick Vieira, Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn, Ray Parlor – has long since disappeared. Arsenal has very good players but we need personality.
“Before Covid-19 arrived, I thought things were different, but I was surprised after the Premier League started to find out that we are back in the old days. Nothing has changed.
(Image: POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
“It’s all about mentality and desire. I haven’t seen anything like Arsenal since football came back. They could have played against Man City for a century without having a shot on goal.
“I wish Mikel Arteta good luck because I think he is a quality manager, but just like Unai Emery and [Arsene] Wenger, what should he do with these players? “
* Emmanuel Petit spoke exclusively to Paddy Power News. To learn more, visit news.paddypower.com.
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