“He was reckless, he was poor and it’s completely unacceptable from him at this level”- Arsenal Legend Patrick Vieira blasts ‘unacceptable’ Arsenal star despite win Vs Leicester
“He was reckless, he was poor and it’s completely unacceptable from him at this level”- Arsenal Legend Patrick Vieira blasts ‘unacceptable’ Arsenal star despite win Vs Leicester
Patrick Vieira branded Raheem Sterling ‘unacceptable’ for his performance in Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Leicester City on Saturday.
Two second-half goals from makeshift striker Mikel Merino sealed the victory for Mikel Arteta’s side, who are now four points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Arsenal struggled to trouble Leicester in the first half with Leandro Trossard fluffing a chance from close range, but Vieira was furious with Sterling after he was caught offside on two occasions, despite being able to clearly see the Foxes’ defensive line.
Sterling was replaced by Merino in the 69th minute and the Spanish midfielder put Arsenal in front with a header from Ethan Nwaneri’s cross before he wrapped up his side’s win with a neat finish from Trossard’s cross.
‘I think Nwaneri has been exceptional in that front three,’ Patrick Vieira told Premier League Productions during his half-time analysis.
‘Raheem Sterling and Trossard… I think Trossard had a good chance, the kind of chance in a game with the forwards we’ve got you’ve got to do more with it, go to the basics in trying to get contact on it, he didn’t do that.
‘I think Declan Rice had a header, maybe could’ve done better, we’re talking about nit-picking with Declan as a chance but in the main we’ve controlled the ball very well but there’s been some offside situations which, for me, are unacceptable at this level.
‘It’s not lacking awareness, we’re talking about an experienced player here, a top player, a Premier League-winning player, multiple times.
‘Arsenal know these are opportunities, when you look along that line, Trossard running straight, you’ve got to be aware of where you are, obviously he’s not a striker, you’ve always got to try to find that last defender and see where he is.
‘That is unacceptable, that one there [from Sterling]. Unacceptable, he’s on the line, he can see the whole line, he’s got space, you pull your hair out as a manager.’
Meanwhile, Michael Owen added: ‘The first and last ones from Sterling are unacceptable.
‘It’s hard enough to get into the final third of a game, to play the ball in a wide position where he’s on his own and maybe get a one-on-one, it happens a handful of times.
‘You’re just standing there, you might as well get the ball and give it to the opposition, it’s so reckless, so poor.
‘We can all run offside, you could time it wrong, a player could play it a second too late, because it’s split-second stuff, but to stand there and to look right across the line, you know the ball’s coming and to stand offside and kill an attack, it’s just unacceptable.
‘It’s just basics, if a six, seven, eight-year-old child did that I’d be screaming at them, you just can’t do that, it’s one of the first things you learn.’
