Mikel Arteta could have the last laugh when Arsenal lock horns with Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday night.
Mikel Arteta was heavily scrutinised when he described his substitutes as ‘finishers’ at the start of the season. Still, Martin Keown reckons the approach could pay dividends in the UEFA Champions League final.
Back in September, when Arsenal kicked off their European campaign with a win over Athletic Bilbao, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard came off the bench to decide the tie. The Gunners had struggled to create many opportunities until the duo replaced Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze in the second half.
Martinelli broke the deadlock just 36 seconds after coming on. A quarter of an hour or so later, he turned provider and set up Trossard, who doubled Arsenal’s lead, sealing the first victory of eight in the ‘league phase’.
The Gunners went on to top the table and eventually reach the Champions League final. When Arsenal lock horns with Paris Saint-Germain at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday night, Keown reckons Arteta could win Europe’s elite competition with his choice of substitutions.
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In an interview with football.london ahead of the Champions League final, which will be broadcast exclusively on TNT Sports and discovery+, the Gunners legend tipped Eberechi Eze to be a difference maker. Keown said: “Eze should be in the team somewhere for his attacking ability.
“Now, how can you afford to leave him out? He comes into the equation as well. I’m pleased I’m not picking the team. When he’s in front of goal, he gets an opportunity… I think he’s ruthless.
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“I think he really dispatches well in front of goal. It’s almost like a certain goal. I think he’s really making his mark at Arsenal. He’s going to play a part in this game.
“It might not be in the XI, it might be what the manager calls ‘the finishers’ who end up with all the glory here. But we’re in for a fascinating fare.”
Eze, whom Arsenal signed from Crystal Palace for £60m, plus £7.5m in add-ons, last summer, has featured 53 times across all competitions this season, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists. The large majority of his appearances have come as an attacking midfielder, but he’s also played on the left a few times, too.
On the battle for minutes in the middle of the park, Keown explained how PSG could unlock Arsenal. The Gunners legend said: “What I’m concerned about is if you’re out of possession for long periods and you haven’t got a midfield three, whereas you’ve got a two and a one, which is more like [Martin] Odegaard, on the sides, one of those players could get undone because of the way that they play out wide.
“[Khvicha] Kvaratskhelia and the full-backs. [Achraf] Hakimi would be bombing on, wouldn’t he? Hakimi plays in a ridiculous position of a false nine at times. It’s how you deal with that.
“If you have a midfield three, then they can go out. If Rice is sitting deep, the two on either side can go out and give you that extra player.”
Keown added: “In the [Arsene] Wenger days, it used to be about us, about what we’re doing, and let them deal with us, and it’s whether or not they’re going to make special circumstances for what is a special team…”
Martin Keown was speaking ahead of the UEFA Champions League final, when he will be part of the coverage exclusively live on TNT Sports and HBO Max this Saturday, May 31.
