Manchester United icon Roy Keane has criticized Arsenal’s mentality following their 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, October 27. Keane said Mikel Arteta’s men were solely focused on trying to preserve their lead instead of extending it, which ultimately caused them to drop two invaluable points at home.
Arsenal Lose Lead Twice Against Liverpool
Having lost 2-0 to Bournemouth last week, Arsenal needed a show of intent in front of their fans at the Emirates Stadium. The hosts started brightly, putting their noses in front through a belter of a strike from Bukayo Saka in the ninth minute. However, their lead did not last very long, as Virgil van Dijk brought Liverpool back on level terms with a thumping header just nine minutes later.
A couple of minutes before the half-time whistle, Mikel Merino found the back of the net from a perfectly worked set-piece routine, putting Arsenal 2-1 up.
The Gunners did not push too hard to extend their advantage in the second half, which allowed the Reds to get back into the contest. With 10 minutes left to play, Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered a long ball behind the Arsenal defense. Darwin Nunez collected the ball and squared it to Mohamed Salah inside the box. The Egyptian sent the ball crashing into the back of the net, making it 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium.
Roy Keane Criticizes Gunners’ Mentality After Sunday’s Draw
Keane spotted a troubling Arsenal trait in the game against Liverpool. Sharing his opinion on Sky Sports, he said (via GOAL):
“I’m starting to worry about this Arsenal mentality. You’re 2-1 up and I’m looking to go on and win that game. There’s evidence of Arsenal now, and it’s happened most of the season when they get themselves in front. Don’t worry about excuses and going down to 10 men.
“They sit back in and are almost settling for 2-1 or think they may get a set piece instead of going for it. Liverpool were there for the taking if they wanted to go for it. It’s almost hoping you can win 2-1 but when you’re up against good players like Salah then they are good enough to punish you.”
The draw on Sunday worked out to Manchester City’s advantage, as they climbed to the top of the Premier League rankings with 23 points. Liverpool is second with 22 points, while Arsenal is third with 18.
