Granit Xhaka has hit back at Arsenal’s critics and said their belief that the Gunners are mentally weak away from home is “bulls***”.

Arsenal missed out on the chance to go back up to third in the Premier League last night after losing 1-0 at Sheffield United courtesy of Lys Mousset’s first-half goal.

The Gunners have now won just four Premier League away games since the turn of the year, while they have also worryingly kept just two clean sheets in all 24 of their League matches on the road under Emery.

It has led to people accusing Arsenal of being mentally weak away from home - an accusation that was also lobbied during the latter years of Arsene Wenger’s time in charge - and last night former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra was the latest to criticise them.

“I used to call them ‘my babies’ 10 years ago, and they are still, when I look at them, ‘my babies’. That’s the truth,” Evra said.

But today Arsenal captain Xhaka hit back at the club’s critics and said: “We have to stop speaking about mental [issues] or bulls*** like this.

“For me it’s the same if you play home or away. You have to win. You have to show big character. You have to show good games and not to find always the same excuse.

“A lot of people speak too much. I hear that the first time he (Evra) speaks something against us. I have a lot of respect about him, because he was a great player. But you have to be careful what you say in those situations as well.

“It’s not only him it’s a lot of people. They speak a lot of bulls*** about us. It’s always the same.

“For me it’s strange because they (pundits) were in the same situation as us, they were players as well.

“Maybe sometimes it was good, sometimes it was not so good. But how I say if you speak every weekend, every game, bulls*** like this they speak, they don’t get respect about what they say.

“I tell you the honest [truth]. I’m not interested in what people say and speak. We have to speak in our group to improve things and work hard.”

A frustrating night for Arsenal was typified by Sheffield United’s goal, which came from a set piece on the half-hour mark. A corner was hoisted into the box and, after Jack O’Connell rose highest to win the initial header, Mousset was able to simply stab the ball home from a few yards out.

After that the hosts were able to dig in and, despite Arsenal’s best efforts, they were not able to hit back as they fell to a defeat that leaves them fifth and two points off Chelsea in fourth.

“Of course it’s frustrating because it’s so easy. It’s too easy if you lose the game because of a corner or free-kick,” Xhaka added.

“We have to improve things. We had good things today as well. We were compact in defence. They didn’t have a lot of chances. But if you want to be in the top four you have to beat Sheffield.

“I think we did a lot of good things. I think Sheffield had one chance, it was the goal. That’s it.”