Gary Neville Slams Martin Zubimendi’s Form and Calls on Arteta to Fix Arsenal Midfield After Newcastle Win

Arsenal returned to the summit of the Premier League table following a narrow 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday, but the performance drew sharp criticism from former Manchester United captain Gary Neville, who targeted the displays of the Gunners’ midfield — and one player in particular.

A goal from Eberechi Eze was the only difference between the two sides, with goalkeeper David Raya required to make several important saves as Newcastle repeatedly threatened. The victory, while sufficient to move Arsenal back to the top, left significant questions about the team’s ability to control matches against physical opposition.

Neville used his platform on The Gary Neville Podcast to single out Martin Zubimendi, the Spanish midfielder who joined Arsenal from Real Sociedad last summer in a deal worth £60 million. “I thought at the start of the season that Zubimendi was a great signing,” Neville said. “He’s been a good player for Arsenal, but right now I was expecting that this would be where Zubimendi would be the player.”

Neville went on to compare the 25-year-old to some of the game’s most celebrated midfield controllers. “You think of what (Andrea) Pirlo is or Paul Scholes or Rodri or Bernardo Silva — the player who can dictate play in a game like this, get Arsenal on the ball, organise and get them with authority, and he’s not demonstrating that. He’s struggling in the games and he has done for a few weeks now.”

The criticism extended beyond Zubimendi alone, with Neville suggesting the entire Arsenal midfield unit was second best against Newcastle. “It felt to me today that Zubimendi, Rice and Odegaard got outplayed by that Newcastle midfield. They were far better than the Arsenal midfield.”

Neville also identified a structural concern with how the three midfielders position themselves, arguing that their tendencies create congestion in deep areas. “Odegaard went deeper today, but the problem is when Odegaard goes deeper, Rice then goes deeper and Zubimendi is already deep. Then you’ve got three players, or certainly two in deep areas. You can’t have that,” he explained, adding that Odegaard handled the deeper role more effectively than his counterparts.

The pundit concluded that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta faces a tactical challenge heading into the final stretch of the season. “So a bit of thinking for Mikel Arteta to do in terms of his midfield, how they can control games, show authority, keep the rhythm of the passing,” Neville said.

Despite the dip in form highlighted by Neville, Zubimendi has been a consistent presence in the Arsenal lineup this season, starting 33 of the club’s 34 Premier League fixtures and registering 50 appearances across all competitions. His influence earlier in the campaign was widely praised following his move from the Basque club, where he had established himself as one of La Liga’s most reliable defensive midfielders and a key figure for the Spanish national team.

With the Premier League title race entering its most critical phase, how Arteta resolves the midfield structure could prove decisive. Arsenal’s ability to control tempo and impose themselves in matches against well-organised opposition will be closely scrutinised in the weeks ahead.