Lee Dixon says Arsenal 'don't know what they're doing' and criticises Arsene Wenger's selection

The Gunners were lucky to escape Paris with a draw after a poor display

Jack Austin
Thursday 15 September 2016 09:06 BST
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Lee Dixon was critical of Arsene Wenger's team selection
Lee Dixon was critical of Arsene Wenger's team selection (Getty Images)

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Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon has blasted his old club’s Champions League display against Paris Saint-Germain, saying the players ‘don’t know what they’re doing’.

The Gunners scraped a 1-1 draw with the French champions despite a shaky defensive display which saw them concede after 42 seconds to an Edinson Cavani header.

The Uruguayan then proceeded to squander a plethora of chances to put the game out of Arsenal’s reach before Alexis Sanchez grabbed a late equaliser to nick a point.

Arsenal were lucky to avoid defeat on the night but Dixon insisted it was not a one-off and that Arsene Wenger’s side have been struggling for a few years.

"It’s totally a balance thing for me," Dixon told ITV.

"With the ball we’re brilliant, but without it absolutely shocking, they don’t know what they’re doing. There are problems without the ball, it’s been like this for years now.

"(In the) 80th minute, they’ve just got back in the game, they’re not pressing. Cavani should score another goal. (They were) great with the ball, great point, well done, but that can’t go on.

Edinson Cavani misses an open goal after taking the ball around David Ospina
Edinson Cavani misses an open goal after taking the ball around David Ospina (Getty Images)

"You cannot be that bad without the ball against teams like PSG, the other good teams in the tournament, because you will get beaten."

Dixon was also highly critical of Wenger’s team selection, with the absence of big summer signing Granit Xhaka in favour of Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin particularly seeming to irk the former right back.

"You have to look at the team selection. Cazorla, yeah he will create something, but you’re playing at PSG and you’re going to be under the cosh a bit," he continued.

"You’ve got Coquelin, you’ve got Xhaka on the bench. I’m not a manager, but you would think he would shore up that midfield area a bit."

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