Wayne Rooney blasts Arsenal fans and three stars ‘all over the place’ against PSG

Wayne Rooney blasted Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino for being ‘all over the place’ during Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, also taking aim at the ‘subdued’ home support at the Emirates.

The Gunners were largely outplayed in front of their own fans in the first leg of their semi-final with Ousmane Dembele scoring the goal’s only game after just four minutes, silencing the crowd.

After a rocking atmosphere in north London against Real Madrid in their quarter-final victory, the Emirates was relatively quiet on Tuesday evening in comparison with Mikel Merino’s second-half header ruled out for offside also dampening the atmosphere.

Speaking at full-time, Rooney told Amazon Prime: ‘For Arsenal I was disappointed with how they played but I was a bit disappointed with the fans as well.

‘The fans against Real Madrid were excellent, they really pushed the team but tonight they were a bit subdued.

‘It was an anti-climax for Arsenal, beat Real Madrid and thought they were going to walk into the final of the competition.

‘The fans had to be there. The players have to show up of course but on both sides it wasn’t good enough tonight.’

Rooney continued: ‘The players need help, I thought the fans here against Real Madrid were absolutely fantastic. The best I’ve ever heard them at the Emirates.

‘I thought tonight they didn’t give them that same energy. In big games, in massive semi-finals of the Champions League, maybe that might be the difference. So maybe they have to give a little bit more.

‘Arsenal fans have been through a lot I know but maybe if they brought the same energy they bought against Real Madrid that might have lifted the players by five per cent.’

Arsenal were without Thomas Partey who picked up a costly suspension late on in the second leg against Real Madrid.

Merino, deployed up front since the injury that ruled Kai Havertz out for the rest of the season, was moved back into a more familiar midfield role alongside Rice and Odegaard.

The midfield three however struggled in the first-half with their attempts to press the opposition not impressing Rooney.

‘The midfield three for Arsenal are all over the place,’ Rooney said at half-time.

‘They are trying to go press the ball at every opportunity and they are leaving massive gaps, like you see for the first goal.

‘They are leaving big gaps in behind and PSG will punish them.

‘They need to sit in shape, let PG have the ball for a bit. They are trying to press at every opportunity and this will suit PSG.’

Arsenal will have Partey available again next week when they head to the French capital for the second leg.