Martin Keown has stepped forward to defend Arsenal after their recent setbacks, including their Champions League loss to Inter Milan, which followed a tough defeat to Newcastle United over the weekend. The Gunners have been solid contenders for the past two seasons, sparking high hopes among fans and pundits alike that they would maintain their impressive form for a third consecutive year. However, this recent dip in form is causing concern among supporters, who fear that another loss—such as the upcoming away fixture against Chelsea—could see them fall even further behind in the title race.
Despite the growing concerns and criticisms from rival fans and neutral observers, Keown insists that Arsenal’s situation is far from a crisis. In his analysis of the Inter game, he praised Arsenal’s determination and quality, especially during the second half, where they put forth a strong effort to level the score. Speaking to The Daily Mail, he noted, “In the second half, Arsenal did almost everything they could to score a goal here, I saw a really good reaction.” Keown acknowledged that while the team is currently struggling to convert chances into goals, they showed positive signs and resilience in their performance.
Keown went on to argue that it’s too early to dismiss Arsenal as a team in crisis. “Everyone wants to put Arsenal away,” he remarked, “but I don’t think there is a massive crisis for Arsenal.” He suggested that Arsenal isn’t far from getting back to winning form and that they simply need to remain confident in their strategy and approach. The former Arsenal defender was optimistic, standing by the squad and saying, “A lot of people are knocking Arsenal; I am standing up for them a little bit tonight.”
It’s clear that while Arsenal’s recent performances have fallen short of expectations, especially in terms of finishing, there remains a sense of optimism around their potential to bounce back. The injuries affecting key players haven’t made things easy, and the team has struggled to consistently break down defences in recent matches. Yet, as Keown pointed out, Arsenal created some good chances against Inter Milan, demonstrating a willingness to push forward and put pressure on a formidable Italian defence.
If Arsenal can convert their promising build-up play into goals and tighten up in critical moments, they could quickly return to winning ways. The upcoming clash with Chelsea will be an important test, and positive results could help put them back on track and silence some of the doubters. While they’re not in a full-blown crisis yet, Keown’s words highlight that Arsenal needs to start finding the back of the net consistently if they want to keep their title hopes alive this season.
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
A Gunner through and through with a voice of reason.
Yes he was, with Rio Ferdinand doing his best to be critical ( in the end, with a smile on his face so not exactly impartial )
Well Martin, I don’t agree. It is a massive crisis that is derailing our season. And the lack of quality in front of goal is killing us. Our build up is slow and we don’t get numbers in the box quick enough. And something that Arsenal has had praise for (our dead ball situation) is also killing us. We are looking for it far too much and forgetting about quality delivery and bodies in the box from open play. So I don’t agree with Martin. Our season is teetering on the edge because of our poor form.
As the article says, Arsenal needs to find a way back to winning ways – that’s the bottom line here.
It’s irrelevant how their current situation is described by former players/pundits – crisis, full-blown crisis, massive crisis, whatever. What is relevant is that they can’t afford many more (any more, probably) slip ups.
As the article also says, “The upcoming clash with Chelsea will be an important test…”. It’s not the first time we’ve seen that description with only the name of the upcoming opponent changed. Recently, Arsenal has failed most of them so let’s hope this latest one is different.