Martin Keown blown away by ‘magnificent’ Arsenal star after Brentford draw | Football

Martin Keown praised two Arsenal players after the Brentford draw and insisted the purpose could find yourself being significant within the Premier League title race.

Leaders and title favourites Arsenal could only draw 1-1 with Brentford on Thursday and were perhaps fortunate to return to north London with even some extent.

Brentford were marginally on top in the primary half but Arsenal began to take control after half-time and broke the deadlock through Noni Madueke’s header.

Keith Andrews’ side all the time looked threatening from set-pieces and equalised through that avenue when Keane Lewis-Potter headed in from Michael Kayode’s long throw-in.

Brentford wasted numerous probabilities to take the lead late on, while Arsenal could have won it on the death just for Caoimhin Kelleher to disclaim Gabriel Martinelli.

The derby stalemate leaves Arsenal 4 points clear of second-placed Manchester City, who followed up Sunday’s incredible comeback win at Liverpool with a snug victory over Fulham in midweek.

‘When you can’t win it, then you definitely can’t lose it, it’s one among those,’ Keown said on TNT Sports after a pulsating derby. ‘Up to now, we have now seen Arsenal teams not get what they needed.

‘Once they reflect on this, obviously they weren’t at their best, but they’ve come away some extent and at the tip of the day they at the moment are 4 points clear.

‘Arsenal scraped through here tonight. They may have put down a giant marker in the event that they won the match, nevertheless it never looked like that was going to be the case.

‘Arsenal will see that as pint well-earned, ultimately I feel. Nothing has really gone incorrect here for Arsenal – big drama, let’s move on.

‘See, you get knocked down, you rise up again. Let’s see who the fighters are and let’s see who’s going to win this.’

Keown described Declan Rice’s performance at Brentford as ‘quite magnificent’ and likewise praised Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who got here on at half-time for Eberechi Eze.

‘Arsenal were significantly better within the second half, unquestionably,’ the Gunners legend added.

‘What Odegaard does well is commonly missed, the way in which he presses high up the pitch meant Brentford couldn’t play through the midfield in the way in which they wanted.

‘It was moment for Arsenal after they scored but Brentford were making it so difficult for them.

‘I believed the standout player for Arsenal was Declan Rice, it was immense the bottom he was covering. He was the standout player, he was quite magnificent.

‘You are taking the purpose because it’s a neighborhood derby and it was intense. Credit to Brentford and Keith Andrews because they’ve really developed and added much more to what Thomas Frank did here.

‘I couldn’t see Arsenal surviving without conceding a set-piece in that final half an hour and the pressure told ultimately.’

Arsenal are bidding to win their first Premier League title in 22 years but face fierce competition from prolific winners Manchester City.

Discussing the title race with just 12 games remaining, ex-England striker Peter Crouch said: ‘What Man City have gotten is the know-how and the recent history behind them.

‘That may result in nervous tensions across the stadium, definitely across the back end of the season.

‘Having someone like Man City and Pep behind you – you might be all the time going to be looking over your shoulder. But you’ll much reasonably be in Arsenal’s position.’

While Arsenal are sitting top of the Premier League, Brentford stay seventh but at the moment are just five points outside the Champions League places.

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