Roy Keane asks Mikel Arteta pointed question despite Arsenal win over Man Utd

Arsenal beat Manchester United in their first Premier League match of the new season but pundit Roy Keane still felt last season’s runners-up have questions to answer

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane questioned Arsenal’s willingness to sit on a 1-0 lead despite the London side winning at Old Trafford. One goal was enough for the Gunners this time, with Riccardo Calafiori securing victory, but that might not always be the case.

Last season, dropped points from winning positions cost Mikel Arteta’s side dear. They led in seven of their last eight matches but won only three, throwing away leads against Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.

“You wonder why Arsenal are still coming up short – it’s because they are still happy to sit back at 1-0,” Keane said on Sky Sports. “And then you think, is that the reason you drew so many games last year?

“You compare that to Man City and Liverpool. They are always looking to go on and get the second or the third. Even on a bad day they can score two or three goals.”

Liverpool and City each scored four on the opening weekend of the season, though the reigning champions were pegged back from 2-0 to 2-2 before beating Bournemouth. The draws stat alluded to by Keane relates to the 14 Arsenal chalked up in the league, as they finished 10 points behind Liverpool despite losing the same number of matches.

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Keane’s fellow pundit Micah Richards was impressed by Arsenal’s resolve at the back. However, he also appeared to indicate a more ambitious attacking mindset might reduce the need for that kind of defending.

“It’s how much you can dig deep,” Richards said. “What has helped Arsenal stay in title races in recent years is that when they get into that low block, they are very difficult to break down. Then you add in the set-pieces and they are a good team. I would just like to see them be a little more brave.”

Arsenal boss Arteta was under no illusions about the quality of his team’s display but was happy with the result. “We came here away and won which is a big result,” the Spaniard said.

“We were clearly not at our best. We attacked the box and we reacted well to unusual mistakes. The team reacted time after time in an incredible way. Very proud of that because that is why we got the opportunity to win the game.

“We showed a resilience and a will to win. They put you on the ropes here, you will have to have moments when you suffer. To find a way to win at this ground, I’m very happy with the team.”

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