Arsenal slipped up in the title race and suffered their third Premier League defeat of the season, falling 3-2 to Manchester United on home soil
10:57, 26 Jan 2026
Gary Neville
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Gary Neville has warned Arsenal over a 'dressing room disease' spreading(Image: )
Gary Neville has urged Arsenal to roll their sleeves up and focus on beating Leeds United to avoid what he calls a 'dressing room disease' and the inevitable questions that follow. Mikel Arteta's side were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday as they missed a chance to tighten their grip on the title.
Lisandro Martinez gifted the Gunners their opening goal, but Bryan Mbeumo levelled eight minutes later. Patrick Dorgu then fired in an unstoppable strike shortly after the break, before substitute Mikel Merino made it 2–2 with six minutes remaining.
However, Matheus Cunha struck just three minutes later to hand United all three points. Arsenal are now four points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa in second and third, respectively.
Arteta's team now face a tough trip to Elland Road to take on Leeds on Saturday (3pm), and Neville has already outlined what he believes they must do ahead of the game. Speaking on his 'The Gary Neville podcast', the United icon said: "What they can't afford to do is go to Leeds and get beat up - lose there and all of a sudden at one point.
"Then all of a sudden, there will be questions asked, there will be people saying 'oh.' I mean, I walked up the stairs today here with Arsenal and I think Patrick Vieira in the studio before the game said 'Now or never' and there was a similar feeling from Arsenal fans walking up.
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"They were like 'if we don't win it this season, we'll never win' - it was that type, you feel that and it's not putting pressure on Arsenal, it's how everybody feels, that's a good thing. That's because they feel they're the best team in the league, and the other teams around them are really struggling, so they've got to get over that feeling that everybody, you know, don't go paranoid or insecure tonight, thinking that everybody's piling pressure on you, no.
"Everyone's going to be asking the question because that's the question that will get asked until you go and win the league. And those questions are going to come thick and fast, so get ready for Leeds next Saturday, make sure your heads are right, make sure you get back to clean sheets, go win the game - be solid.
"Do what you do, or else you're going to get more questions. Nip it in the bud, root it out inside a few days and don't let that disease that might just enter your dressing room grow, which it can grow if you get a few bad results. The disease of negativity and sort of the questions being asked.
Gabriel Jesus and Lisandro Martinez
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Arsenal were unable to avoid defeat against Man United(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
"Are they going to be able to do it? Can they ever do it? Will Arteta ever win a title? Will this team ever win a title? All that sort of stuff. Their midweek game in the Champions League, they've done their job in that already.
"They need to concentrate on next weekend and make sure they're right for that match because Elland Road is a tough place to go."
Arsenal appeared incredibly nervous throughout Sunday's match, surprising Neville, who insisted he didn't expect such anxiety from the top team this early in the title race.
He added: "Something's gone badly wrong here for them today and we'll come on to why in a minute, in terms of Manchester United's special goals they've scored. The way in which they felt up there on the pitch, and all they will know, I imagine they were a bit nervous, a bit anxious and you sort of close up a little bit, you play safe and you lose that freedom and that expression in what you're doing, and that was that Arsenal team today.
"They have to find out very quickly where that comes from and root it out. Mikel Arteta will probably change the team dramatically in the midweek, but I think he needs to concentrate wholly on going to Leeds United next weekend and get a win.
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"Put anything to bed that this is just a blip today. This is just sort of a one-off. You have to win the game in midweek as well but they've got enough good players to be able to do that but Leeds becomes very big for them."