Laurent Koscielny has called into question Arsene Wenger’s team selection as the fallout from the 3-1 defeat by Chelsea continues to derail Arsenal’s season, with the captain adding more unnecessary attention to the manager’s decision-making this season.

Wenger has come under-fire for the majority of the campaign, mainly for his failure to sign a leading striker last season to convert the also-rans into Premier League champions once again. But having not won the title for 12 seasons, the 12-point gap to Chelsea after last weekend’s demoralising loss has given Wenger’s critics fresh ammunition to call for him to either leave the club or be sacked.

Wenger has confirmed that a two-year contract was offered to him, though revealed he is yet to decide whether he will remain manager beyond the end of the season when his contract expires, but Koscielny’s comment in the wake of the Stamford Bridge defeat will not sit well with Wenger.

“I think we played some players in front of others and I think we should have played more as a team and there was space to do so. They hit us on the counter,” Koscielny said, according to The Mirror.

It’s not clear who Koscielny was referring to, but a look at the starting line-up would suggest that the inclusions of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott – along with Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez – left Arsenal too exposed. Francis Coquelin was replaced in the 65th minute, with Arsenal already 2-0 down by that point, but Wenger’s lack of midfield options meant he had to play Oxlade-Chamberlain alongside Coquelin, or risk putting the untested Ainsley Maitland-Niles in for his first Premier League start.

Wenger left both Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck out of the starting line-up, with the former coming on for the final 20 minutes and scoring a consolation header.

That goal only came after former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas came off the substitutes’ bench to score a third and complete the embarrassing rout, which leaves Arsenal all but out of the title race unless they can perform a miraculous turnaround over the final 14 games of the Premier League season.

Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Show all 11 1 /11 Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Joachim Löw Age: 58

Current club: German national team

Honours: Austrian Bundesliga, 2001/02

Fifa World Cup, 2014

Fifa Confederations Cup, 2017 Getty Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Mikel Arteta Age: 35

Current club: Manchester City Getty Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Brendan Rodgers Age: 44

Current club: Celtic

Honours: Championship playoffs

Scottish League Cup

Scottish Premiership Getty Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Leonardo Jardim Age: 42

Current club: Monaco

Honours: Segunda Liga

Superleague Greece

Greek Cup

Ligue 1 Getty Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Patrick Vieira Age: 40

Current club: New York City FC

Honours: None Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Diego Simeone Age: 47

Current club: Atletico Madrid

Honours: Argentine Primera Division x2 (Estudiantes de La Plata and River Plate)

La Liga

Copa del Rey

Spanish Supercup

Europa League

Uefa Super Cup Getty Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Domenico Tedesco Age: 32

Current club: Schalke Bongarts/Getty Images Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Massimiliano Allegri Age: 49

Current club: Juventus

Honours: Serie C1 (Sassuolo)

Serie A x3 (AC Milan, 2x Juventus)

Italian Super Cup x 2 (AC Milan, Juventus)

Coppa Italia x 2 (Juventus) Getty Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Thomas Tuchel Age: 44

Current club: Free agent

Honours: DFB-Pokal Getty Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Luis Enrique Age: 47

Current club: Free agent

Honours: La Liga x2 Copa del Rey x3 Supercopa de Espana Champions League Super Cup Club World Cup Getty Arsenal candidates to replace Arsene Wenger Carlo Ancelotti Age: 58

Current club: Free agent Intertoto Cup (Juventus) Serie A (AC Milan) Coppa Italia (Ac Milan) Supercoppa Italiana (AC Milan) Champions League x3 (AC Milan x2, Real Madrid) Super Cup x2 (AC Milan) Club World Cup (AC Milan) Premier League (Chelsea) FA Cup (Chelsea) Ligue 1 (Paris Saint-Germain) Copa del Rey (Real Madrid) Bundesliga (Bayern Munich) DFL Supercup x2 (Bayern Munich) Bongarts/Getty Images

'It will be difficult now. Mathematically, nothing is done but we know that it is going to be very complicated,” Koscielny admitted.