‘Difficult for me’ – Martin Keown hurt by ‘sickening’ Arsenal loss as Aston Villa fans hurl abuse
Martin Keown couldn’t contain his dismay after Aston Villa beat Arsenal with the last kick of the game.
Emi Buendia slammed home in the 95th minute as Aston Villa defeated Arsenal 2-1 on Saturday, sparking an explosion of celebration at Villa Park as Unai Emery’s men moved three points behind the Gunners.
Matty Cash‘s first-half opener had been cancelled out by Leandro Trossard early in the second period, but a tight game was settled deep into stoppage time following a frantic sequence in the visitors’ box.
Former Villans and Gunners defender Keown was commentating on the match live for TNT Sports, but was clear about his prevailing allegiances after fans gave him “all sorts of abuse” at full time.
Martin Keown wanted Aston Villa vs Arsenal draw
Keown made a century of appearances for Villa as a player in the late 1980s after starting out at Arsenal, but later returned to Highbury in 1993 for over a decade to play at total of 449 times for the Gunners.
Having witnessed Mikel Arteta’s side take a major blow to their ambition of winning a first Premier League title since Keown was in their ranks it was clear how disappointed he was.
Speaking after the final whistle at Villa Park live on TNT he said: “It’s difficult for me, I’ve got a foot in both camps, but I’m an Arsenal man so you wanted to see that [Arsenal win]. If the spoils were shared it would have been a nice day out, but credit to Buendia off the bench…
“It was an amazing finish to this game. Not an easy one when you’ve got so much of you in the game, I’ll be honest. I was just talking professionally to Ally [McCoist] when he does Rangers and I do Arsenal. You love the club, and obviously Villa as well, so you’re happy for the Villa fans in the end but that’s a sickening way for Arsenal to lose this epic game.”
He later added of his interactions with fans inside the stadium: “Villa will feel they deserved that. Just been given all sorts of abuse by Villa fans, by the way, on the way through. It doesn’t mean Arsenal can’t win the league.”
“Martin, there’s nothing worse than being ignored,” McCoist said.
“You’re not wrong.” Keown replied.
Unai Emery magic all the sweeter vs Arsenal
Unai Emery’s impressive revival of Aston Villa from the depths of the Steven Gerrard era has arguably already proven the Gunners were too quick to get rid of the Spaniard in 2019.
He may have always been on a hiding to nothing coming after more than two decades of Arsene Wenger, but Arteta ultimately got the opportunity of time Emery never did.
This win will therefore have been all the more satisfying for the Villa boss, not least when it confirms his reign at Villa Park is a long way from crumbling.
When the controversy at Man United kept Aston Villa out of the Champions League at the end of the previous campaign, and the summer was filled with PSR concerns, it might have been tempting to conclude it had been fun while it lasted under Emery.
But he has this team in the thick of the title race with Christmas approaching and on current evidence they can threaten any side in the division.
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