Michael Owen believes William Saliba will likely be furious with David Raya over Jean-Philippe Mateta’s equaliser in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side are actually on the point of conceding the Premier League title to Liverpool, who now need just a degree against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday to be crowned champions.
Arsenal took the lead twice against Palace through Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard but goals from Eberechi Eze and Mateta secured a degree for Palace, who remain twelfth within the table.
Mateta’s equaliser got here after Saliba gifted possession to the Palace striker, who produced an excellent chipped effort to beat Raya, who was caught out of position.
But Owen says he ‘feels sorry’ for Saliba after Raya did not make an angle for a pass back to goal with a view to ease the pressure from Palace’s attackers.
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‘Everybody knows Raya takes big angles,’ Owen told Premier League Productions.
‘But once the angle is a closed one, once Saliba is about to go wide to Timber, or potentially, Raya ought to be sprinting back to make his unique approach just in case he comes back.
‘He [Raya] was never, ever going to be in the sport and I feel sorry for Saliba because all he does is make one mistake in some ways.
‘If I used to be Saliba there I can be going into the dressing room screaming at Raya, screaming at him.
‘Okay, make an angle, that’s wonderful, help me out sometimes, but should you’re unsure just get able where I can at all times pass to you. After I’m in trouble, no less than I can go protected.’
Meanwhile, former Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown believes Saliba’s mistakes highlight the ‘sloppiness’ which has crept into Arteta’s side in recent weeks.
‘I believe Saliba, if I’m working with him [I am saying], ‘don’t switch off’,’ Keown said.
‘The sport they played against Real Madrid, the goalkeeper rolled it out to him just after they scored and it’s as if he hasn’t got an image, he wasn’t alert.
‘It’s twice now that’s happened in successive games – he just must sharpen up.
‘I believe it’s crept in due to the sloppiness with Arsenal just attempting to see out games, tonight was a victory in not getting injuries, because there’s an enormous game coming up and I believe once you’re just down from 100 per cent, you make mistakes.’
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