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Monday Night Football: Arsenal defence needs sorting, says Sky Sports' Gary Neville

Image: Thomas Vermaelen: Needs to be more decisive at the back, according to Gary Neville

Gary Neville was left puzzled by Arsenal's defending at Tottenham and feels there are two key areas for Arsene Wenger to strengthen in the summer.

Victim of his own success

Frustration is growing among the Arsenal faithful as Wenger's side are now five points adrift of fourth placed and without a trophy in eight years, while there is an apparent reluctance to spend heavily in the transfer market. Neville has a lot of respect for the way Arsenal run their club in difficult financial times, but feels it is time to make a couple of big-money purchases and has suggested that a new striker, as well as a centre-back, be top of their summer shopping list. Asked about the significance of the Tottenham defeat, Neville also defended Wenger, saying: "It leaves them in a bad moment. "Arsene Wenger is the victim of his own success and the standards he has set and the expectations of getting to European Cup finals, winning Championships and going unbeaten through seasons. "I remember 20 years ago playing against Arsenal, Bruce Rioch's team was pretty average at that point. "At this moment the Arsenal fans seem to resent that the money is sat in the bank and the club are in profit. "I find it difficult to stick in the knife, in these economic times when the country has gone bust almost. What the club has is a stadium, a manager who has been there for 16 years, they have all the money in the bank and they are set up for the future, but they have to improve." Neville added: "They have got to get more quality. If you look at Giroud up top, that is not an Henry or an Anelka or a Wright. "They have now got a problem in the central attacking position and in central defence. They need to sort those two parts of the pitch out and that is where most of the money potentially could be spent in the summer."

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