Alexis Sanchez (middle) and his Arsenal team-mates suffered a shock defeat to Dinamo Zagreb

Charlie Nicholas says Arsenal's underperforming players, rather than manager Arsene Wenger, should take the blame for their defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

The Gunners' started their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 defeat in Croatia thanks to an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal and a second-half Junior Fernandes header, while striker Olivier Giroud was sent off in the first half for two bookable offences.

Wenger made six changes to the team that beat Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday, but former Arsenal striker Nicholas said the likes of Giroud, David Ospina, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy did little to convince him they should be playing more regularly.

"It was really, really poor," he told Soccer Special.

"There were six changes and although that's a bit over the top for me, I still think it should have been enough to get a win, never mind a point.

"After 20 minutes I thought it was going nice and easy, but then I started to worry around that period of the game when Arteta and Santi Cazorla slowed it down and a leisurely, horrible slowness crept into their play. All of a sudden they were punished.

Some of these players don't turn up when they are given an opportunity, so why should [Wenger] trust them as much as he does? Charlie Nicholas

"There's nobody left to blame but themselves. For the first goal, Debuchy pushed in too deep when he didn't need to and Oxlade-Chamberlain switched off. The second goal was an absolute shocker in the second half.

"Maybe six changes is a bit over the top and people think Wenger is arrogant or is taking it easier than he should, but these players have got so much trust and belief from their manager.

"Every time they fail the manager will get caned because of the changes he made. Some of these players don't turn up when they are given an opportunity, so why should he trust them as much as he does?

Arsene Wenger reacts during Arsenal's defeat in Croatia

"They are responsible at the end of the day for their performance. It's not tactics, commitment or anything like that. You are a better player than them, so perform - and they don't perform."

Nicholas was critical of Giroud - preferred by Wenger to second-half goalscorer Theo Walcott - for the way he got himself sent off in the 40th minute.

The Frenchman was booked for dissent after 26 minutes and received a second yellow card just 14 minutes later for a foul on Ivo Pinto.

Olivier Giroud walks off after being shown a red card

"Giroud's red card was silly," he added.

"The second yellow card was a soft one, but he was arguing with the referee after the first one. You're away from home, walk away.

"You've bundles of experience. Why do you want to get involved in this little mish-mash with a referee because he ain't going to listen or pay attention to you? He finds that you're being childish, so stop it.

"He ended up red-carding him because of a clumsy, silly little soft free-kick."