Crouch: Arsenal may lose their Top 6 place because their defence is totally nuts

Former England striker Peter Crouch criticises Arsenal's defence in his latest column. Here are his views.

Sometimes you watch a game and cannot believe what you are seeing. You see the action on TV and wonder why – if you can spot the mistakes from afar – nothing is being done to correct them.

That's how it was last Sunday. I stayed in so I could see Arsenal's game at Watford and it left me shaking my head. 

I'm all for teams wanting to play out from the back but what Arsenal did at Vicarage Road consistently was nuts.

Arsenal were fortunate they didn't end up suffering a similar fate. Even when they led 2-0, I never felt confident they would see it through. They never looked comfortable and it was no surprise they were pegged back.

I loved facing Arsenal during my career. I scored nine times – my best total against any single opponent – and only Wayne Rooney (12), Robbie Fowler and Harry Kane (both 10) can better that total. 

Given how they are defending this season, I would have fancied my chances against them now, too.

Why aren't they varying their style? Honestly, it is mind-boggling. You can play out from the back by clipping high balls to your full-backs – watch Ederson do it for Manchester City. 

To keep doing what Emery wants Arsenal to do, with little passes around the penalty area, is just asking for trouble.

They have played six games so far in all competitions and have faced 120 shots - 96 of those have come in the Premier League, the highest total of any club. 

I have wanted Arsenal to address the defensive balance of their side for years and never understood why they didn't buy Steven Nzonzi.

Steven played with me at Stoke and he would have been perfect to provide protection in midfield. 

He ended up going to Sevilla for £7million and it was madness Arsenal allowed that to happen. The best sides spot their deficiencies and address them to progress.

Look at Liverpool. They needed a new goalkeeper, a new central defender and defensive midfielder. 

Jurgen Klopp brought in Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho and look where they are now – challenging for the title, something that used to be an Arsenal tradition.

As things stand, they are miles away from being in the conversation for the title. They have a chance of finishing in the top four this season, but you wouldn't be in a hurry to put money on them and they look the most vulnerable in terms of losing their place in the top six.

Yes, they are exciting and will score lots of goals but you wonder how Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will feel. 

He's genuinely world-class and should be challenging for the biggest trophies but it can't keep falling to him to get Arsenal out of a hole.

When Emery first arrived in England, I backed him. I thought it was ridiculous that people wanted to criticise him after just one game (a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City) and said a coach with his track record deserved respect. I still believe he deserves a proper opportunity to turn things around.

Hiring and firing quickly is no way to run a club and I don't think Arsenal would ever go down that route. 

There is no denying, though, they are being compromised by the way they are playing. Until they stop the shots coming in, they will be vulnerable to shooting themselves in the foot.