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Petit feels Arsenal are cracking up

Cesc Fabregas cut a frustrated figure against Barcelona © PA Photos

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Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has taken a pop at the star names in Arsene Wenger's squad, accusing the likes of Cesc Fabregas of wilting under pressure.

Arsenal's season has taken a turn for the worse in the last fortnight, as they have gone from battling for silverware on four fronts to having just the Premier League to focus on. The Gunners were beaten by Birmingham in the Carling Cup final, which was followed by a mauling by Barcelona in the Champions League and defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

Fabregas appeared well short of peak fitness against Barca, as he made a key mistake which led to a goal and the rest of the game passed him by, and Petit feels the Arsenal captain has a fixation with his former club.

"There seems to be a curse around the club at the moment," Petit told The Sun. "Arsenal's key players seem to be cracking up.

"You get the impression that some psychological work will need to be done on Fabregas. His recent performances have been below his usual standard. He seems to have a complex over his former club Barcelona."

Wenger is confident his team can rescue their season with a title win, but Petit feels the Frenchman needs to shoulder a sizeable portion of the blame for crafting a side who play well but lack a winning mentality.

"I really hope Arsenal win the title because otherwise Arsene Wenger will have to ask himself questions," Petit said. "Since 2005 and the departures of Vieira, Pires and company, he's banking above all on a young, malleable team where he can invest in a sporting project.

"Arsenal's game is a trademark on the pitch, it's just that there are not really any players with a winning mentality."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.