Jamie Carragher Calls Arsenal 'Cowards,' Criticises Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil

Sky Sports pundit and ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has branded Arsenal "cowards" following their 3-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday night and said Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are "playing to get away." 

Per ESPN FC, he said on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football:

"

The best description of the players was two years ago, from [fellow Liverpool legend] Graeme Souness. He said they're a team of son in laws.

But what father would want his daughter to bring one of them home? I'm serious. Bottling it, cowards, ducking out of challenges. What type of man would you want to bring your daughter home? One of them?

"

He added: "We always criticise Ozil, and I'm not his biggest fan, but I think Sanchez has been awful the last couple of months. Certainly not looking like they're playing for contracts. It's looking like they're playing to get away."

Goals from Andros Townsend, Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojevic sank the lifeless Gunners as they failed to regain fifth place from Manchester United and close the gap on fourth-placed Manchester City back to four points.

The defeat continued Arsenal's woeful run of form on the road:

Their home form hasn't been much better, and their only wins in the Premier League since January 22 are against Hull City and West Ham United.

Arsenal's only other victories in that time have come against non-league sides Sutton United and Lincoln City in the FA Cup, and given how they've played in recent months they're perhaps only in the semi-final of the competition by virtue of the favourable draws they've received.

Bleacher Report UK's James McNicholas was among many to criticise the Gunners for their poor display on Monday:

So too did ESPN FC's Tony Evans, who agreed with Carragher on Sanchez and Ozil:

Indeed, while the pair are Arsenal's most talented players—and Sanchez can probably still lay claim to being their best player this season—their recent displays have been disappointing.

Players of their ability should be the first the team turn to when they need to rally together and produce a performance or run of performances, not the first to switch off when things aren't going well.

With the right management and the right personnel to complement them, the pair are still players you can build a title-winning team around, but they have neither at Arsenal.

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