Laurent Koscielny has questioned Arsene Wenger's team selection following Arsenal's dismal showing in the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea on Saturday.
The Gunners were easily brushed aside by the league leaders and the French defender believes it was a combination of team selection and the players not performing as a unit that led to their downfall at Stamford Bridge.
Wenger made some questionable choices when he selected Alex Iwobi ahead of Danny Welbeck despite the former Manchester United striker, who is coming back from a long-term injury, being rested for the game in midweek.
The England international scored a brace in his first start against Southampton a week earlier, and it should have earned him a place ahead of the Nigerian forward.
Gabriel started for Arsenal against Watford with Wenger stating that the Brazilian was preferred to regular starter Hector Bellerin due to the height advantage he provides.
The Spaniard returned to the starting XI against Chelsea and it was his lack of height that allowed Marcos Alonso to open the scoring.
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The France international, who has captained the side in the league this season, admits that the north London club's title chances are all but over, but has urged his team to get back to winning ways and put up more of a fight in the coming games.
Three points will be vital for Arsenal when they face Hull City on Saturday with the race for the Champions League places heating up.
"I think we played some players in front of others and I think we should have played more as a team and there was space to do so.
They hit us on the counter," Koscielny said, as quoted by the Mirror.
"It will be difficult now. Mathematically, nothing is done but we know that it is going to be very complicated.
"We need to come back to the quality of our game, our passing, movement," the France international added.
With Liverpool and Chelsea facing off on Tuesday night, Arsenal will be looking to capitalise on any potential slip-ups from their Premier League rivals as they welcome Watford.
Arsene Wenger's Gunners sit eight points behind Chelsea with 16 games remaining, and need Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to do them a favour and beat Antonio Conte's league leaders to open up the title race.
Arsenal must overcome Walter Mazzarri's Watford in a London derby at Emirates Stadium to put pressure on the Blues, and the Hornets are winless in seven league games.
Wenger will be serving the second game of his four-match touchline ban against Watford, but with a trip to Stamford Bridge up next for the Gunners, Arsenal do not their coach on the sidelines to remind them that Tuesday's encounter could be an important stepping stone to a potentially decisive title clash this weekend.
TEAM NEWS
Santi Cazorla is now the only absentee for Arsenal, though the Spanish midfielder may be out for the rest of the season with his achilles injury. Danny Welbeck returned in style in the FA Cup, scoring the first two goals in a 5-0 away win against Southampton on Saturday to hand Wenger a striking dilemma regarding his front line.
The manager must decide whether to stick with the likes of Welbeck and Walcott - who scored a hat-trick against the Saints - or restore Olivier Giroud to the starting line-up against Watford.
With Mohamed Elneny still at the African Cup of Nations, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could continue in central midfield after an excellent showing at St Mary's.
Mazzarri will almost certainly be without Costel Pantilimon after the goalkeeper was injured in the FA cup exit at Millwall, but Heurelho Gomes was likely to start at the Emirates anyway.
Christian Kabasele may return from injury, while Valon Behrami (hamstring), Nordin Amrabat (ankle) and Isaac Success (hamstring) are all doubts. Roberto Pereyra remains out with a serious knee injury.
New forwards Mauro Zarate and M'Baye Niang will both be pushing for a start at the Emirates, but may well be used off the bench in the second half.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey; Walcott, Ozil, Sanchez; welbeck
Watford: Gomes, Kaboul, Prodl, Britos, Janmaat, Capoue, Doucoure, Holebas, Cleverley, Okaka, Deeney
Arsene Wenger has said that the return to fitness of Danny Welbeck is akin to having a new signing available to him.
The 26-year-old has spent a large chunk of the past two years sidelined with serious knee injuries, but has recently returned to action and scored his first goals in eight months to help Arsenal to a 5-0 rout of Southampton in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Theo Walcott also hit a hat-trick at St Mary's and, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Lucas Perez also at his disposal, Wenger is pleased with the attacking options in his squad.
"Yes it feels like I have many new strikers because I think Perez played very well as well and I left Giroud at home," he told reporters.
"The problem will now be to find the right combination which will use them well in games.
The result is strong with the balance of the team. When you look around you on the bench and you have this sort of player Welbeck coming on or when he starts it is somebody else.
He gives us more quality going forward.
"We look tonight and Perez and Walcott and Danny Welbeck and I have Sanchez on the bench, it is an exceptional quality.
For a long time we did not have the offensive quality available."
Arsenal host Watford on Tuesday looking for a fifth consecutive win in all competitions.
Arsene Wenger feared he may never have seen the best of Danny Welbeck again after the Arsenal striker suffered two serious knee injuries in 20 months.
Welbeck returned to Arsenal’s starting XI in style on Saturday, scoring two in the first 22 minutes to set his side on course for a 5-0 win where Theo Walcott added a hat-trick.
The 26-year-old only returned to Arsenal training last month after a second major surgery on his knees, the latter to fix cartilage damage in his right leg, and had played just 21 minutes across three substitute appearances prior to the FA Cup fourth round tie.
Wenger noted that Welbeck’s willingness to keep fighting after two major setbacks, the latter of which ruled him out of Euro 2016, had earned him the respect of his Arsenal team-mates, who delighted in his brace.
“You do wonder,” Wenger said when asked whether he feared Welbeck may never be the same player.
“I wondered first of all would he be solid enough mentally to cope with that.
“Then secondly you hope he will go well after he comes back after the second surgery.
“He worked very hard, he went through some moments of very deep disappointment.
Because when he had the setback and he had to go in again, as a professional player that's very difficult.
Arsene Wenger has praised his "dynamic and explosive" Arsenal side for thrashing Southampton 5-0 in their FA Cup fourth-round tie at St Mary's Stadium.
Theo Walcott bagged a hat-trick against his former side on Saturday, while Danny Welbeck struck a brace to help the Gunners reach the last 16 of the competition.
Wenger told BT Sport: "We were very dynamic, explosive and overall we had a good consistent performance over 90 minutes and everybody played well.
"Welbeck has been out for such a long time, I didn't expect him to score straight away and it shows the desire is there.
"People say I make changes but I bring in Walcott, Welbeck and Lucas Perez, all top quality players.
After that I try to find the best balance for the team."
Wenger was forced to watch from the stands as he began a four-match touchline ban.
Arsenal have booked their spot in the last 16 of the FA Cup by comfortably seeing off fellow Premier League side Southampton 5-0 at St Mary's Stadium.
Both teams showed 10 changes apiece from last time out but it was the Gunners who eased their way to victory, secured thanks to two goals from Danny Welbeck and three from Theo Walcott on their respective returns from injury.
Welbeck bagged his first brace in this competition with less than a quarter of the game played, on what was his first start in 265 days, while Walcott - out for the past month - ensured that his side avenged their 4-0 thrashing here 13 months ago by adding three of his own in the remaining time.
There was a sign of things to come for the hosts pretty much from the off, as the lively Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were both picked out in good positions inside the opening five minutes.
Neither player could make their shots count, but Welbeck had no such trouble soon after as he rounded off a 16-pass move by finding the net via the crossbar to put Arsenal ahead.
A second for the Englishman was not long coming, either, as he this time latched on to a ball over the top from Oxlade-Chamberlain and rather scuffed his shot under the body of Harry Lewis.
That finally sparked some sort of response from Southampton, who saw a Shane Long strike kept out by an otherwise untested David Ospina and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg volley over the bar from a good position.
The Gunners may have taken their foot off the gas slightly but, moments after Shkodran Mustafi - the one survivor from last time out - glanced wide from close range, Walcott prodded the ball home after being picked out by two-goal Welbeck.
Ominously for the home side, Arsenal were quick to click into gear in the second half and they remained on top throughout, without troubling Lewis on too many occasions until the final quarter.
Hector Bellerin sent a shot down the middle for the youngster to keep out, but the next attempt did not arrive until 21 minutes from time when Walcott found a way through for his second of the evening.
It was a near-instant impact from Alexis Sanchez, who came off the bench and picked out his teammate to sweep the fourth of the match into the back of the net and signal the end of the contest for good.
There was still time for Walcott to register a hat-trick against his former club - his fifth for Arsenal - by getting on the end of a nicely-weighted pass from Sanchez to tuck past Lewis, who perhaps could have done better to keep it out.
Lucas Perez should have added a sixth in the final minutes, only to be denied by Lewis in this more one-sided repeat of the 2003 final between the two sides in Cardiff.
A sixth successive away win in this famous competition for the first time in Arsenal's history was never in doubt, as the Saints failed to find any sort of response to see their mini-resurgence come to a halt.
Had Danny Welbeck been just a little bit sharper, the thrilling finale of Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Burnley might never have happened.
Just as the game entered stoppage time, fellow substitute Francis Coquelin clipped an excellent pass in Welbeck's direction.
At his best, the England forward would have surely taken the ball under control before slotting under the advancing Tom Heaton.
As it was, his touch illustrated his rustiness and the opportunity evaporated. However, Welbeck's darting movement showed just how much he has to offer.
When he regains match fitness, he will surely be a major contributor to this Arsenal side's attempts to claw back Chelsea's advantage in the Premier League.
Welbeck has quickly worked his way back into Arsene Wenger's plans. Since returning to full training, the former Manchester United man has been involved in three consecutive Arsenal games.
He didn't play a single minute with the second string, instead being thrown straight into the senior side.
That gives some indication as to the esteem in which Wenger holds him; Arsenal are not short of attacking talent, yet Welbeck has seemingly immediately leapfrogged the likes of Lucas Perez in the pecking order.
The fact that Welbeck came on against Burnley speaks for itself.
With the match finely poised, Wenger could have brought on Perez or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to help Arsenal see the game through. Instead, he opted for Welbeck.
Wenger seems to have an implicit trust in the striker and he's not the first; throughout his career, Welbeck has been a favourite with several managers.
His value lies partly in his tactical discipline. He plays without ego, constantly working for the benefit of the team.
Even against Burnley, he rotated out to the left flank when required, showing his selflessness and versatility when Alexis Sanchez sought to take up central positions.
Few players could count on more support on the comeback trail. Despite his links to United, Welbeck is enormously popular with the fans.
In conversation with the Telegraph, Wenger explains the "Welbz" phenomenon thus:
"First of all he is hugely popular because he did very well with England before he got injured, he was the centre-forward of England.
England failed at the European Championship and you cannot stop people from thinking,If Welbeck was there he would have helped us win against Iceland.
"Secondly, he is a young, promising striker -- he has a fantastic spirit and people sense that.
He is genuine, committed and humble and you do not find that too many times together.
Maybe as well people feel sorry for a guy who hasn't played for two years basically, and he is rightly, hugely popular
Arsenal will be looking for a better start than they have made of late in a bid to beat Southampton on their home turf in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.
The Gunners needed a last-gasp Alexis Sanchez 'Panenka' penalty to beat Burnley 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday, but have lost Granit Xhaka for as many as four games after the midfielder's second straight red card of the season.
Arsene Wenger's presence at St Mary's is also in doubt, with the manager facing a potential ban after being charged with misconduct by the Football Association after clashing with fourth official Anthony Taylor.
Wenger could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and Claude Puel's Saints will want to exploit the slow starts made by the Gunners in recent weeks in a bid to reach the next stage of the competition.
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal will be without Granit Xhaka following his red card against Burnley, with the Gunners unlikely to appeal the midfielder's dismissal.
While the Swiss international is out along with the injured Santi Cazorla, Wenger was boosted by Francis Coquelin's return in last weekend's win against the Clarets.
Hector Bellerin also returned off the bench in the same game, and could start to give the Gunners more width and pace than Gabriel has been offering on the right flank.
Danny Welbeck is pushing for his first start since returning from a long-term knee injury, while Kieran Gibbs may also be handed a role on the left flank should Wenger decide to rest the likes of Nacho Monreal and Olivier Giroud.
Theo Walcott (calf), Mathieu Debuchy (hamstring) and Per Mertesacker (knee) are all expected to remain sidelined until the end of the month.
Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk is a slight doubt with an ankle injury, as are Sofiane Boufal (knee) and Steven Davis (knock).
Charlie Austin remains out until April with a shoulder injury.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Southampton: Forster, Soares, Yoshida, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Hojbjerg, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Rodriguez, Tadic
Arsenal: Ospina: Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs; Ramsey, Coquelin; Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez; Welbeck
Arsene Wenger is ready to unleash Danny Welbeck back onto the Premier League after insisting the Arsenal forward could have prevented England's humiliating Euro 2016 exit if he had been fit.
The 26-year-old returned from a second serious knee injury in the space of two years in the recent FA Cup third-round win over Preston.
Welbeck, signed from Manchester United in the summer of 2014, played for just four months last year after returning from a long lay-off before he was again forced to miss eight more months with a new issue.
That saw him miss out on a place at the European Championships in France, where Roy Hodgson's Three Lions were knocked out after a humbling 2-1 defeat to Iceland at the round of 16 stage.
But now he is building up his fitness and is likely to play some part in Arsenal's clash with Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday -- with Wenger revealing why he believes the forward is such a popular figure among the club's fan-base.
"First of all he is hugely popular because he did very well with England before he got injured, he was the centre-forward of England, let's not forget that," he said.
"England failed at the European Championship and you cannot stop people from thinking 'If Welbeck was there he would have helped us win against Iceland.'
"Secondly he is a young, promising striker -- he has a fantastic spirit and people sense that. He is genuine, committed and humble and you do not find that too many times together.
"Maybe as well people feel sorry for a guy who hasn't played for two years basically, and for me he is rightly, hugely popular."
Wenger believes Welbeck's injuries came at just the wrong time in his development, but has backed him to put his problems behind him as he looks to start again with the Gunners.
"He has pace, good technique and is committed, he wants to help the team," the Arsenal boss continued.
"He is a good finisher as well and that was a bit before he got injured you could see that was coming out because when he played at Man United he didn't score enough goals.
"Suddenly it was coming and so he has been stopped just at the wrong moment. First of all I touch wood and hope. He is not completely out of it.
"We still rest him after two days, one day, because of bone inflammation. That takes a huge time to get completely rid of and you have to be careful not to have a setback."
Asked if Welbeck was over the injury setback from a psychological standpoint, Wenger added:
"Yes, that is why I'm pleased with him.
"Some players have big injuries and you observe them in the first three months and you think 'my friend, you will struggle' because they have a handbrake.
"And some players come back like they behave like they have never been injured and he is one of them, at first training you have to say 'come on, don't go into full contact straight away' but he is like that."
Welbeck's return adds more firepower to a forward line which boasts a plethora of talent, with Wenger pleased with the "offensive weapons" available to him.
