Contagious, ill-fated, obscured: mediocre Arsenal receive nothing but vicious critics from pundits

They have failed to win their last four matches in all competitions, pushing the season to the brink of catastrophe. Trophies are as far as possible, so it's no wonder all relevant pundits have turned their backs on that mediocre Arsenal side. Whether we are talking about ex-Gunners stars or other much-praised analysts, one thing is the same - no one believes anymore in Mikel Arteta's slot.

Jamie Carragher has hit out at Arsenal's senior players for leaving a 'negative legacy' for the club's younger players to look up to amid a recent slump in form. Arteta's outfit lies tenth in the Premier League and are massive outsiders for a top-four spot while they drew 1-1 in their Europa League quarter-final first-leg tie with Slavia Prague on Thursday.

A positive in Arsenal's season has been the emergence of young talents such as Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. Still, Carragher has blasted the 'malignant' more established stars in the Gunners squad.

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"They are a malignant influence who will contaminate the training ground and may leave a negative legacy for the generation which follows. That's arguably the biggest, most recurring problem Arteta is trying to fix right now.

"What was the club's strength at the turn of the millennium is a serious weakness in 2021. That's why patience has run out amongst the club's fanbase, and they would prefer to see Arteta build around his exciting youngsters. That perspective is understandable, and Arteta may have no option but to go down that route in the short term, but it is as damning on the club's established stars as it is as a complement to the young talent.

"Through the latter years of Arsene Wenger, into the reign of Unai Emery and now Arteta, there has been a massive erosion of trust in those who are supposed to be leading by example."

’Someone should punch Arsenal players in the face’

Midfield talents Saka and Smith Rowe were crucial to Arteta's side, picking up their form post-Christmas, but the Gunners' season has unravelled before their eyes once again.

Аfter that surprising victory against Tottenham in mid-March, Arsenal lost their Europa League last-16 second-leg to Olympiakos, also failing to overpower West Ham and Liverpool in their next two league games. Carragher hinted that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's drop in form could be linked to the £60million contract he signed at the start of the season, in a similar drop in impressive displays that Mesut Ozil showed after signing a £350,000-a-week deal in January 2018.

Just like Carra, Arsenal's former midfielder Emmanuel Petit criticized under-performing Gunners. Petit, who lifted a Premier League title and FA Cup with the North Londoners, branded his old club's recent recruitment as 'ridiculous', and claimed that some senior players act like they are on 'vacation'.

"For me, the biggest mistake they have made in the last few years is their ridiculous transfer activity," he said. "When I look at the older players in the team, it's like they think it's a retreat football club, somewhere you just go for a vacation."

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Аlongside Carragher and Petit, Martin Keown did not hold back during punditry duty on Thursday evening, having watched Arteta's men gift Slavia Prague an away goal in the final minute of their 1-1 draw in the Europa League quarter-final first-leg tie.

"It seems like Arsenal are not proactive in games; they need someone to slap them or punch them in the face before they wake up and start to play," he said.