Mikel Arteta responds to Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher as pair slam Arsenal

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Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher suggested that Arsenal were too defensive in their draw against Manchester City, accusing Arteta of applying the "handbrake" with his team selection and tactics.

However, ahead of Arsenal's Carabao Cup match against Port Vale, Arteta passionately defended his philosophies, arguing that goalkeeper David Raya, centre-back Gabriel and midfielder Mikel Merino prove he's not focused on just defending.

The Gunners boss explained: "For sure, if you look at the players that we have, starting from the keeper, very attacking goalkeeper, the most attacking goalkeeper in the league by far.

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"The centre backs, the most attacking one, in one phase the most attacking one.

So how attacking that is, more than a nine playing in midfield, I haven't seen it in the league."

"So I think we have a lot of attacking, different qualities of attacking players, some of them more talented in some areas than others in relation to the game that we play.

I am much more filled and fuelled with that than with other ones that didn't make it."

Carragher had said on Sky Sports coverage of Sunday's match: "Mikel Arteta has got a team who are that close to being really, really special in winning a Premier League and maybe a Champions League, I think they are that good.

"But time after time when it comes to these big games he picks a team that feels like he’s thinking more about the opposition.

That does not mean you can’t win the league, Jose Mourinho has won the Premier League three times and he was like that.

"For me that was a waste of 45 minutes and the reason I’m saying that is because I played for managers like that at Liverpool and we were really close, we were a top team but we never won the Premier League.

I've got a lot of love for them and I like them, but they've got to take the handbrake off."

Arteta is expected to make several alterations away at Port Vale with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga likely to feature whilst there could be an opportunity for 15-year-old Max Dowman following Noni Madueke's injury which will sideline him for six to eight weeks.

Arteta continued: "Everybody loves Max.