Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has defended his back four.

Szczesny feels the defence has singled out for criticism when the whole team should be playing their part.

He told the Guardian: "Over a long time I've honestly had enough of people saying Arsenal's defence is not good enough. People judge defence on the back of goals conceded but you have to have a look at the defending in general.

"If my back four are completely exposed against Chelsea - most of the time in the first half there it was four of my defenders against six Chelsea players - they were disadvantaged all the time.

"You have to look at the defending of the whole team, the shape of the whole team. People blame the Arsenal defenders way too much over the past couple of seasons.

"I feel for them, massively. I try to help them as much as I can. I am happy to take the blame sometimes for a goal conceded if I felt I could do better. They've been hammered.

"Of course sometimes people make mistakes but very often the Arsenal defenders have been criticised too much. It gets to public opinion and once people give you a label of a dodgy defender, whatever you do they look at you closely and there is always something they will find that you have done wrong. It's quite tough."