Former England striker Alan Shearer has given a damning appraisal of Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, likening the Czech's passing to 'a ticking timebomb'.
Writing in his Sun column, Shearer was highly critical of manager Unai Emery's insistence on building from the back.
Shearer wrote: "Emery also has a problem with playing the ball out from the back because Petr Cech is clearly uncomfortable with it. [The crowd] are nervous because it looks like a ticking timebomb when Cech has the ball at his feet."
Cech had a particularly embarrassing moment against Manchester City in Arsenal's first Premier League match of the season, very nearly passing the ball into his own net.
Shearer also compared Cech unfavourably to Manchester City keeper Ederson. "You look at Ederson at City and he is one of the best footballers on the park," wrote Shearer, adding: "But Cech, as good as a goalkeeper as he is, is being asked to do something that he cannot."
Arsenal have lost both of their first two Premier League games - against City at home and Chelsea away - conceding five goals in the process.
Shearer slammed the Gunners' defending in Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge, describing it as 'awful' and explaining: "It’s fine to say you want to play a system. But if the players don’t work in that system then it’s no good."
Specifically, Shearer argued that Arsenal's centre backs don't suit Emery's preferred approach: "It’s very difficult to play a high line when you have got Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos in central defence, who aren’t blessed with pace," he wrote.
Nevertheless, the former England striker - who scored a record 260 Premier League goals - urged Arsenal to give Emery time to improve the Gunners. Shearer stressed: "Arsenal are going to have to suffer for a while and, like it or not, they are going to have to be patient."