Patrick Vieira has questioned Arsenal's mental resilience after the Premier League leaders slipped to a 3-2 home defeat against Manchester United, a result that has tightened the title race.
Saturday's loss was only the Gunners' third of the season, but they have now dropped seven points from their last three matches. The gap to Manchester City and Aston Villa stands at four points, with Mikel Arteta's side having initially appeared to salvage a draw when Mikel Merino equalised in the 84th minute, only for Matheus Cunha to score a brilliant winner three minutes later.
Vieira, speaking to Sky Sports, insisted questions remain over the team's mental strength. "They will be really disappointed with the way they lost the game," he said. "They didn't create enough, and Saka and Trossard on the left didn't produce enough to cause United danger. They need a leader to lift the spirit of the team and make them understand they need to play with more energy and take more risks."
Roy Keane, the former United midfielder, echoed concerns about the pressure facing the league leaders. "Pressure was on Arsenal today," he said. "They are feeling it, and there have been signs over the last few weeks. They will have to reset and remember they are still in a great position, but they need to get momentum back and start embracing the challenge instead of being frightened of it."
Arsenal must now regroup quickly as they look to reassert their authority at the top of the table, with their next fixtures set to test both their character and title credentials.
