Arsenal midfielder told he’s no Andrea Pirlo or Paul Scholes after ‘struggling for weeks’ - with Gary Neville unimpressed with misfiring £51m Gunners star

Speaking from the commentary gantry during the tense encounter in north London, Neville did not hold back in his assessment of Martin Zubimendi. The Spaniard, who joined the Gunners in a high-profile £51 million ($69m) move from Real Sociedad, was singled out for failing to dictate the tempo of the game in the way many expected when he arrived in the Premier League.

"I thought at the start of the season that Zubimendi was a great signing," Neville told Sky Sports. "He's been a good player for Arsenal but right now I was expecting that this would be where Zubimendi would be the player. Who's going to be the difference player? But I thought... you think of what [Andrea] Pirlo is, or [Paul] Scholes or Rodri, 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 been for a few weeks now."

The former Manchester United defender highlighted a growing tactical concern for Mikel Arteta, noting that the balance between Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard appeared off. Neville observed that the trio seemed to occupy the same spaces, leading to a lack of fluidity that allowed the visitors to enjoy more of the ball than their hosts. Indeed, the Magpies ended the game with 55 per cent possession, a statistic that left the pundit surprised.

"Odegaard went deeper [today], but the problem is when Odegaard goes deeper, Rice then goes deeper and Zubimendi is already deep," Neville explained. "Then you've got three players, or certainly two in deep areas. You can't have that. You want them to be rotating with each other, and you want one back there to link play with the defence and the full-backs. It felt to me today that Zubimendi, Rice and Odegaard got outplayed by that Newcastle midfield."

While the midfield battle drew criticism, Arsenal did enough to secure the points thanks to a piece of magic from Eberechi Eze. The England international settled the contest early on, and while Zubimendi worked hard in midfield, he was unable to prevent the likes of Sandro Tonali from asserting their influence on the game. It was a nervy evening for the title hopefuls, who relied on David Raya’s reflexes and a late miss from Yoane Wissa to see out the win.

Neville also pointed to a lack of clinical edge elsewhere on the pitch, specifically mentioning substitute Viktor Gyokeres. "I thought Gyokeres would get the goals for them in the big moments and get to 2-0," he added. "His lack of quality at the end was poor on that counter-attack. He's got to do better than that." The Swedish striker had replaced Kai Havertz, who was forced off with an injury before the half-time whistle.

Despite the recent dip in form noted by Neville, Zubimendi has been a permanent fixture in Arteta's plans since his summer arrival. The 27-year-old has made 50 appearances across all competitions this term, contributing six goals and three assists while missing only one Premier League fixture thus far. His work rate is rarely in question, but as the title race enters its final stretch, the pressure to produce Pirlo-esque performances is mounting.

As Arsenal prepare for the final weeks of the campaign, they currently sit three points clear of Manchester City, though their rivals still hold a game in hand. For Arteta, finding a way to get his summer signing back to his best will be crucial if the Gunners are to finally end their 22-year wait for a league title. Whether Zubimendi can silence his critics and provide the authority Neville demands remains to be seen.