Wright accuses Ranieri of "nitpicking" for his critical Arsenal comments

Ian Wright has hit back at Claudio Ranieri after he took aim at Arsenal's players for not putting the ball out in their win over Watford.

Emile Smith Rowe's second-half strike settled the clash at the Emirates and kept up the Gunners' impressive run of form.

Danny Rose had put the ball out so his Watford team-mate Ozan Tufan could receive treatment, but rather than give it back, Arsenal opted to keep possession when the game resumed.

Smith Rowe would go on to score the winner as a result, which left the Watford boss raging after the defeat.

"We put out the ball and everybody expected Arsenal to give back the ball," Ranieri told Sky Sports.

"Our relationship [with Mikel Arteta] is very good, I told to him there isn't respect when we put the ball out. I said there isn't respect in this action, just this."

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Ranieri is new into the job at Vicarage Road and is looking to keep Watford afloat in the Premier League.

Narrow defeats like this do not help his case, although his side are two points clear of the relegation zone.

Wright. though. took issue with the Italian's comments, claiming he was simply looking for an excuse.

"There's nothing wrong with him in the end," he told Premier League Productions.

"I'm sorry and people will say I'm being biased because it's Arsenal, but if there's something wrong with you then you stay down and go through what you normally do. Look how far it's gone.

"I think I saw Ranieri complaining and that's just nitpicking because I don't believe they should give that ball back.

"There's nothing wrong with the player. If there's something wrong then stay down and go through the protocols.

"But there's nothing wrong with him. He got back up and they had three or four opportunities to be able to clear that so I think it's just Ranieiri making an excuse really."

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Arsenal's win marked Mikel Arteta's 100th game in charge as their impressive run continues.

The Gunners are now unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games, winning six of those.

It means Arsenal are now just two points outside the top four which is quite the turnaround given how poorly they started the season.

Arteta has confirmed that skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will remain the team's penalty taker despite missing for the second time in a matter of weeks on Sunday.