Arsenal fans instructed Unai Emery to sell Shkodran Mustafi following another error-strewn display against Crystal Palace.
The Germany international was restored to the starting line-up as a consequence of Sokratis Papastathopoulos’s suspension after the former Borussia Dortmund defender picked up his 10th booking of the season in the recent defeat at Goodison Park.
Arsenal had kept six cleans sheets in their last seven games in all competitions, but Mustafi’s presence heralded the return of familiar defensive frailties.
The 27-year-old was partly at fault for Christian Benteke’s opener, allowing the Palace striker, who hadn’t scored a Premier League goal in over a year, the freedom of the penalty area to head home Luka Milivojevic’s free-kick.
Arsenal equalised immediately after the break through Mesut Ozil but another Mustafi error gifted the visitors the lead when he failed to play the ball and allowed Wilfried Zaha a clear run in on goal.
The Ivory Coast international comfortably beat Bernd Leno with Mustafi compounding his error by appearing to lay the blame at the feet of his goalkeeper, much to the annoyance of Arsenal’s fans who were left to count the cost of an eventual 3-2 defeat that put a huge dent in their Champions League qualification hopes.
