Saturday, 20th September, 2014
Former Manchester United first team coach Phil Neville has written off Arsenal's 3-0 win over Aston Villa today and insisted the true challenge comes in bigger games.
The Gunners hit Villa with a three-goal blitz between the 32nd minute and the 36th minute to put Paul Lambert's men to the sword and effectively end the Premier League contest in the first half.
Danny Welbeck, signed from Manchester United for £16m in the summer, hit his first goal for the Gunners to put the cherry on top of the three-point cake.
But for Neville, nothing less than a win for Arsenal was expected and the former Manchester United coach feels Wenger's men are paying the price in bigger games for their manager's tactical rigidity, pointing to a 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night in the Champions League.
"Driving here today [to Villa Park] I didn't expect anything other than this type of performance because this is what we've seen from this Arsenal team over the last ten to fifteen years when they play this type of game", Neville said.
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"It's about the top teams.
"It's about Dortmund away, Chelsea away, or at Old Trafford, because Arsene Wenger won't change tactically in the big games", he added.
Arsenal face a number of acid tests over the coming weeks, with the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur coming on 27th September.
Then they lock horns with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 5th October.
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