Keown fears Arsenal face “relegation struggle” with three crunch games pivotal
Arsenal legend Martin Keown fears his former club could slip into a relegation battle if they fail to beat Norwich on Saturday.
The Gunners have got their 2021/22 campaign off to a nightmare start, suffering three straight defeats, conceding nine goals and scoring none.
Mikel Arteta therefore finds himself under serious pressure heading into their clash with Norwich at the Emirates, which has now become a must-win game for his side.
Keown insists Saturday afternoon's outing against the newly-promoted outfit is "huge" for his old team, admitting he will begin to fear the worst if they don't claim three points.
“The game is huge tomorrow. I’m not looking beyond that," the ex-Arsenal defender told talkSPORT on Friday.
"We’ve got Burnley and Spurs to follow, we know the significance of that game if you don’t get anything from that match.
“You look at where they are now in the table, that is putting even more pressure on the manager.
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“I don’t wish to add to that, but we need to see signs someone is going to turn this around because then it does become a relegation struggle.”
Keown added: “It’s a huge game for both clubs, it’s massive for Arsenal playing at home.
“This is where the talking has to stop and points need to start getting on the board.
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"To have not scored a goal, no points, I think it’s 112 years since Arsenal have been in this situation and I hear lots of talk about being patient and it being a long-term project, but in the short-term you have to get points on the board. They are going to have to win this game and try to turn this around.
"You could say it is their perfect opponent, they’ve scored a goal but not won a game, so you really have to go after it and bully your opponent with possession and get the ball in the box.
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“That confidence has to return. There was huge disappointment in losing that first game and put the manager under enormous pressure and the two games after that were always going to be difficult.
“It’s just the manner of the performances, you want to see the team progress. There is pressure.
“The fans are back in numbers and I’m sure they will pull the team along and want a response, a quick one."
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