Keown sees the positives in Arsenal’s draw at Everton

Martin Keown has chosen to highlight the positive aspects of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Everton, despite the fact that the result was not what the Gunners had hoped for. With Arsenal starting the game 12 points behind Liverpool, they needed a win to reduce the gap before Liverpool’s next match. The Reds have been exceptional all season, and there is a growing sense that Arsenal may struggle to catch up. However, it remains crucial for Mikel Arteta’s side to continue picking up points and ensure that the gap does not widen any further.

While the performance against Everton was not ideal, with Arsenal dropping points against a team that any serious title challenger should be beating, there were some positives to be taken from the match. Arteta made the decision to rest some of his key players, which led Keown to focus on the bigger picture. Keown pointed out that the draw against Everton was part of a larger strategy to preserve the fitness of the squad ahead of more crucial fixtures, especially with a big game coming up in the near future.

Speaking on TNT Sport, Keown explained: “That became an exercise in mapping out all the minutes you need for key players for a game that wasn’t taking place today, but will take place on Tuesday evening. All credit to Arteta for getting a result and making sure no-one else was going to get injured.”

Despite the positive outlook, it is important to recognise that not winning against Everton does not bode well for the upcoming match against Real Madrid. Arsenal should have pushed harder to secure all three points, especially as every point is vital in their pursuit of the title. With tough fixtures ahead, including a pivotal match against Madrid, Arsenal will need to find a way to recover from this setback and maintain their momentum if they hope to stay competitive in the race.