Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hit out at his side's fans for creating a negative atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City on Sunday in a hostile environment, and have now only won five of their 10 home matches so far this season.
The North London outfit face a battle to try to get themselves back into the top five, and Wenger believes that the negativity of the home crowd is making his players unnecessarily nervous.
"I felt we started too timidly and with not enough authority," said Wenger.
"You can see that nerves play a part in our team at the moment when we play at home.
"[The players are nervous] because they feel the scepticism around the team. The players feel that they want to do well. They have a great desire to do well, so maybe they're a bit too anxious that they don't respond completely to the expectation level of the crowd."
Arsenal take to the Emirates again on Wednesday when they host Swansea City in their FA Cup third-round replay.
Matt Cotton
