Martin Keown has claimed that Mikel Arteta is setting up Arsenal midfield to what Pep Guardiola had at Manchester City, as he told BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.
The Highbury legend spoke about Arteta’s midfield set-up and how Thomas Partey was the sitter against Burnley, with Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard the players further forward.
Arsenal beat Sean Dyche’s side 1-0 on Saturday, with Odegaard’s sublime free-kick the difference between the two sides.
Keown labelled it a ‘piece of brilliance’ from the summer signing and how he ‘really liked’ the look of Arsenal’s midfield.
“I really liked the look of the midfield actually,” said Keown. “If you look at the manager is setting up the team. If you look at what he had with Guardiola at Man City.
“One player sitting in Partey, and then two players either side in Smith Rowe and Odegaard.
“His piece of brilliance from the free-kick was the difference between the two teams.”
There’s no doubt that Arteta played a more attacking team yesterday, it’s just a case of whether fans will see this type of set-up a lot more.
During the first few games of the season, Arteta hasn’t been able to play his strongest XI, with injuries and COVID stopping that from happening.
But during the last two games, he has been able to do that and six points and two clean sheets have come from it.
Arsenal are far from where they want to be and these recent results don’t change much other than add confidence into the camp.
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