Martin Keown has identified three areas Arsenal need to tweak if they want to win the Premier League. Although the Gunners are five points clear at the top of the table, Manchester City have a game in hand, which will be played against Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.
The fixture was set to take place later this month, but the title rivals are locking horns in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, March 22. Speaking to football.london ahead of Arsenal's clash against Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday night, which will be broadcast on TNT Sports and discovery+, Keown described Mikel Arteta's backline as 'magnificent'.
However, the 59-year-old believes there's room for improvement. On how the north Londoners have managed the pressure of the title race, Keown said: "I think they've been shutting it out well.
"Maybe I've been shutting it out as well, but you want this to be a fair game, and so maybe in the media, one or two people try to ratchet things up. And even now, I think it's natural for there to be pressure, to be nerves.
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"Of course, you have to handle that. It's good to have an edge. We've got a very young defence, and I think trying to get people into position in front of them a little bit earlier, will make their job easier because it's not in doubt, the quality of the defence, and the four of them are magnificent.
"But I think with just better positioning, communication to the midfield to block channels, and keep them more compact, will help them going forward. They learn very quickly, this group. It’s game after game."
The TNT Sports pundit added: "Someone was telling me yesterday that Manchester United can only play 40 games this season, and Arsenal have already played 44 games. Really, the season is only just starting because it means you're competitive in all areas, in all competitions. The squad is really united."
Keown then suggested that Chelsea should take a leaf out of Arsenal's book. The Gunners legend pointed out how Christian Norgaard, an experienced player who arrived in the summer from Brentford, shored up Arteta's side during the win over the Blues at the weekend.
"I thought it was interesting, Norgaard coming on," said Keown. "I thought that was a really good addition, showing faith in him, and he helped to give that communication I’m talking about.
"It's important. It's not about young legs everywhere. It's having that right balance. I think we saw that with the Chelsea teams that are kind of an example of that."
Keown also heaped praise on David Raya for his role in the title race so far. The Arsenal legend said: "Exceptional. He's really in a winning mode. It’s a zone that you get into, where you anticipate, you read the room.
"If someone's gonna pass back to him perhaps when they shouldn't – there was one pass back to him yesterday – and he dealt with it really well. [Martin] Zubimendi played into him, and you thought, ‘Hold on, what's happening?’
"His speed across the goal, his reflex saves, there is a player really living, breathing, being in an Arsenal Jersey, trying to take his team to success. And that really is what's going to have to be applied by every single player."
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