At a Glance:
- Arsenal lost away at Manchester City on Sunday, denting their title hopes.
- Martin Keown has defended the Gunners after this defeat.
- The pundit has cited two key absences as reasons for Mikel Arteta’s side’s poor recent form.
Arsenal suffered a detrimental defeat away at Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, prompting Martin Keown to highlight two areas of concern for Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Gunners produced a respectable display at the Etihad, but were beaten by two sucker-punch goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland. The result leaves City just three points behind the North Londoners, with Pep Guardiola’s men still possessing an additional fixture in which they can accumulate points.
Despite the green shoots for Arteta and his players, Arsenal have unsurprisingly faced significant criticism for allowing City back into the title race at this late stage of the campaign.
Martin Keown says desperately Arsenal missed two players vs Man City
Not only did Arsenal have to face a fit City side in electric form, but they also had to cope without several key players who were out injured. Most notably, Bukayo Saka wasn’t available, as the Gunners’ talisman continues to fight his way back from a significant Achilles issue.
However, speaking on talkSPORT, Martin Keown highlighted two of the other notable absentees from Arteta’s squad, whom he felt were sorely missed. In a heated exchange with Simon Jordan, Keown cited Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori’s respective injuries as a defence for Arsenal’s inability to secure the result they wanted in Manchester.
😤 Simon: "That's not the point! You keep ignoring the point!"
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 20, 2026
😡 Martin: "It is the point! It's not your point!"
Simon Jordan and Martin Keown got heated over #AFC's faltering attempts to win the Premier League! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e4YYWkGmnm
“Arsenal played with four central defenders yesterday,” the former Gunners star said.
“No Calafiori to develop the play in midfield, like they normally have. No Timber, with that tenacity that he has, to help deal with Haaland doing his stuff.
“People come in to replace these guys. We were our third right-back yesterday. I’m talking about yesterday. [Losing to lower sides] is a different point.
“Don’t you think the workload has affected the Arsenal players, with the injuries and the fatigue? No?
“City invested well and wisely in the January transfer window, didn’t they? [Marc] Guehi and [Antoine] Semenyo have come in. Semenyo is still the top goalscorer at Bournemouth.”
Arsenal’s full-back injury issues have been overlooked
Keown is right; Timber and Calafiori are huge losses for Arsenal. In the first half of the season, the two full-backs were the Gunners’ starting duo, and they were essential to Arteta’s team’s resolute defensive structure.
Make the challenge. Drive the team forward. 💪
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 2, 2024
Love it, Jurrien! 👏 pic.twitter.com/6tQdoQ0dct
Not only were both exceptional in one-on-one defensive duels, but they were also imperative to Arsenal’s ball progression. Timber’s ability to carry the ball through the lines and evade the opposition press was pivotal to the Gunners’ ability to get the ball up the pitch.
Meanwhile, Calafiori would often invert into central areas, collect the ball and then get it forward through his expansive passing. Arsenal have missed the Italian’s industry in possession, even if Piero Hincapie is outstanding defensively.
🗓️ One year ago today…
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 22, 2025
Riccardo Calafiori’s incredible first goal for The Arsenal 🚀 pic.twitter.com/OmIQCExpXb
If the Gunners are to win the title, they’ll need both of these players back. Jordan was wrong to dismiss these absences as insignificant, given how frequently they were used throughout the first half of the campaign.
