• Premier League

Mertesacker 'abandoned ship', says Carragher

Per Mertesacker failed to give Arsenal's young players the support they needed against Stoke, according to Jamie Carragher.

Arsenal suffered a 3-2 loss at Stoke on Saturday, having conceded three times in the first half to leave them with a mountain to climb.

Mertesacker, who played for Germany 104 times, captained his side at the weekend in a back-line made up of 19-year-olds Hector Bellerin and Calum Chambers, with the latter sent off in the second half.

Wenger shrugs off abuse

Arsene Wenger's side are struggling for consistency this season © Getty Images

• Arsene Wenger has shrugged off the abuse directed at him by Arsenal fans after Saturday's defeat at Stoke and has called on them to judge the team at the end of the season.
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And former Liverpool defender Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, said: "If you look at the back four and the goalkeeper - Mertesacker's experience, the games he's played and the caps he's won, stands out.

"There are two teenagers there. I've been a young player and you need help but I've also been the older player, the experienced player trying to help young players.

"When you go into games like that, you know before the game you've got to play your own game on auto-pilot but you've got to play half their game for them. They're young lads. They're coming into the team at a difficult place in the Premier League away at Stoke.

"You have to help them but he didn't. You can see it throughout the goals on Saturday."

Carragher highlighted a moment when Mertesacker turned his back on a shot at goal, saying that the centre-back had "abandoned ship".

"When someone's shooting, you try to make yourself as big as possible," he added.

"He's making himself as little as possible by turning his back. That is not acceptable for a player of his quality and experience.

"This is your captain on the day and you talk about leadership, you talk about the character that Wenger always goes on about after the game. He's abandoned ship.

"He's left the young players on their own and abandoned ship. It's just not acceptable."

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