ARSENAL legend Tony Adams has urged Mikel Arteta to switch to a back four following the 1-0 defeat against Manchester City on Saturday.
The Gunners boss once again opted to start three central defenders with two wing-backs, though the formation left them lacking in creativity in the final third.
And after succumbing to their second Premier League defeat of the season, Adams has declared now is the the time to change up the formation.
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Speaking to Premier League Productions, the 54-year-old said: “I think it’s time for a back four. I’ve been saying it since the start of the season.
“It wins you cup games, it doesn’t win you league titles. If he wants to build for the future.
“I think he’s got problems with Hector [Bellerin], I think his defending today wasn’t very good at all.
“But I’d like him to go to a back four. They’ve got Gabriel now, get him a partnership.
“They’ve been unlucky at the start with [Rob] Holding going down but get them into a back four.
“They look like they’ve a holding midfielder now who’s got a bit of presence and build for the future.”
Adams also criticised Bellerin and Bernd Leno for Raheem Sterling’s goal, with the right-back allowing Phil Foden to run past him, while the German goalkeeper parried out his strike into the path of the ex-Liverpool winger.
He added: “Arsenal have pressed them and they’ve played around the press very well.
“Hector Bellerin again, and the goalkeeper, I always look at it defensively.
“Man City were too good, they passed it around, he [Phil Foden] steps inside Hector too easy.
“The goalkeeper is pushing it into the danger zone, you’ve got to push it away out of the danger zone, and he’s [Sterling] had a tap-in, which is disappointing.”
