{"id":325361,"date":"2026-04-27T17:18:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T11:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=325361"},"modified":"2026-04-27T17:18:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T11:48:08","slug":"mikel-arteta-told-arsenal-summer-signing-needs-support-in-difficult-moment-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/27\/mikel-arteta-told-arsenal-summer-signing-needs-support-in-difficult-moment-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Mikel Arteta told Arsenal summer signing needs ‘support’ in ‘difficult moment’ | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Martin Zubimendi is in the course of a \u2018difficult\u2019 spell at Arsenal, says Martin Keown (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Martin Keown says Martin Zubimendi goes through a \u2018difficult moment\u2019 in his debut season with Arsenal and certain \u2018needs\u2019 support from team-mates and fans.<\/p>\n

Zubimendi accomplished \u00a356million move from Real Sociedad to Arsenal in the summertime transfer window, with weighty expectations placed on the midfielder, who had also been linked with Liverpool and Real Madrid.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old quickly settled into life within the Premier League and was held up as one in all the signings of the season during a powerful begin to his Gunners profession.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Zubimendi has struggled to have the identical impact because the campaign has worn on and the Spain international has didn’t register a goal or an assist in his last nine appearances within the Premier League.<\/p>\n

The Euro 2024 winner stays an ever-present in Mikel Arteta\u2019s side, though, starting all but one in all Arsenal\u2019s 34 games in the highest flight, with only 4 matches remaining of the club\u2019s title charge.<\/p>\n

After Arsenal ground out a nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle to reclaim top spot on the weekend, Manchester United legend Gary Neville said he had been left dissatisfied by Zubimendi\u2019s recent form.<\/p>\n

\u2018I assumed at first of the season that Zubimendi was an ideal signing,\u2019 Neville said on his\u00a0Sky Sports podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Zubimendi is struggling for form after a powerful start with the Gunners (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Spaniard has began all but one in all Arsenal\u2019s league games this season (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018He\u2019s been a great player for\u00a0Arsenal\u00a0but right away I used to be expecting that this could be where Zubimendi can be the player. Who\u2019s going to be the difference player?<\/p>\n

\u2018I assumed [Viktor] Gyokeres would get the goals for them in the massive moments and get to 2-0. His lack of quality at the top was poor on that counter-attack. He\u2019s got to do higher than that.<\/p>\n

\u2018But I assumed\u2026 you think that of what [Andrea] Pirlo is, or [Paul] Scholes or Rodri, Bernardo Silva \u2013 the player who can dictate play in a game like this, get Arsenal on the ball, organise and get them with authority and he [Zubimendi] is just not demonstrating that.<\/p>\n

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\u2018He\u2019s struggling within the games and he has been for a number of weeks now. [Martin] Odegaard does it higher.<\/p>\n

\u2018Odegaard went deeper, but the issue is when Odegaard goes deeper, [Declan] Rice then goes deeper and Zubimendi is already deep. Then you definitely\u2019ve got three players, or definitely two in deep areas.<\/p>\n

\u2018You possibly can\u2019t have that. You would like them to be rotating with one another, and you wish one back there to link play with the defence and the full-backs.<\/p>\n

\u2018It felt to me today that Zubimendi, Rice and Odegaard got outplayed by that\u00a0Newcastle\u00a0midfield.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Arsenal\t<\/div>
Keown won three Premier League titles with the Gunners (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Giving his thoughts on talkSPORT<\/a> two days on from Arsenal\u2019s edgy victory on the Emirates, Keown compared Zubimendi\u2019s form with the eye-catching performances that Eberechi Eze had been producing.<\/p>\n

\u2018The situation Arsenal are in is normal. It\u2019s never easy to be a team that doesn\u2019t win it after successive years. It\u2019s 22 years for Arsenal, 26 years for Manchester United, 44 years for Manchester City,\u2019 the ex-Arsenal and England defender said.<\/p>\n

\u2018We are able to still hear \u201c[Sergio] Aguero!\u201d, within the commentary due to what it meant on the day that they tripped up against QPR.<\/p>\n

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Will Arsenal win the Premier League title this season?<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018These nerves are there, it\u2019s natural. I just thought, on the weekend, Eberechi Eze, how he handled those nerves, I believe he\u2019s an example to everyone within the team, how he\u2019s loving the situation.<\/p>\n

\u2018I used to be stunned by the naivety of Arsenal, not recognising, \u201cOkay, we\u2019re all marking contained in the box but that\u2019s not the player we want to select up\u201d, and there have been two early corners that was an indication to that.<\/p>\n

\u2018His finish was magnificent. You consider his progression in the sport, he\u2019s 27 years of age, Arsenal didn\u2019t want him, rejected him\u2026 his path to this level, he\u2019s having fun with the moment and embracing it. That must be the attitude.<\/p>\n

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Eze\u2019s superb strike proved decisive as Arsenal reclaimed top spot on Saturday (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keown continued: \u2018I believe I\u2019d contrast that with Zubimendi. He\u2019s played loads of games, it\u2019s a difficult moment for him, but these are the players you support. <\/p>\n

\u2018The result does the trick, it gives you that tonic, it makes you think that you may keep going. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been like climbing Mount Everest here. We have now 4 games to go where Arsenal are top of the Premier League and within the semi-finals of the Champions League, and there\u2019s a crisis in every single place, every week. Forget all of the noise and begin to show up, begin to play. <\/p>\n

\u2018It was very nice to see [Bukayo] Saka back out on the pitch again because all of the connections were back.<\/p>\n

Keown expects there to be many more twists and turns on this yr\u2019s compelling title race between Arsenal and Manchester City, who sit three points adrift but have a game in hand over the Gunners.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t think they are going to and I don\u2019t think we must be underestimating a few of these games,\u2019 Keown, who won three Premier League titles with Arsenal, went on.<\/p>\n

\u2018We don\u2019t even know when the games for Manchester City will likely be played since the FA Cup final comes per week before the top of the season and that\u2019s a determining factor.\u2019<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Marseille boss slams Ethan Nwaneri again as Arsenal forward is left as unused substitute<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Wayne Rooney reveals \u2018massive\u2019 boost for Arsenal and makes latest title prediction<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Gary Lineker names surprise team that would deny Arsenal the Premier League title<\/span><\/p>\n

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