Keown Urges Arsenal Fans to Rally Behind Struggling Zubimendi

Arsenal's legend Martin Keown has stepped into the debate surrounding midfielder Martin Zubimendi, urging the club's fanbase to provide backing for the Spanish international during what he characterises as a testing period for the player.

The Gunners' weekend victory over Newcastle United—a narrow 1-0 triumph—propelled them back atop the Premier League table, opening up a three-point cushion ahead of Manchester City, who were occupied with FA Cup commitments. With Fulham next up on Saturday, Arsenal have the opportunity to extend that advantage to six points before City's next fixture.

The north Londoners' path to this position has been far from smooth. Two successive league defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester City preceded the Newcastle win, prompting questions about whether the title-chasing machinery is firing on all cylinders.

Zubimendi has become a focal point of those concerns. Gary Neville recently highlighted the midfielder's inability to impose himself on proceedings, suggesting his performances have dipped noticeably in recent weeks. The Sky Sports analyst drew comparisons to orchestrators of the game's past and present—invoking names like Andrea Pirlo, Paul Scholes, Rodri, and Bernardo Silva—before concluding that Zubimendi has fallen short of that standard. Neville also flagged a structural issue, with Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard occasionally operating too deep simultaneously, disrupting Arsenal's midfield balance.

However, Keown struck a different note on talkSPORT, contextualising Zubimendi's struggles within the broader pressures facing a title contender. He drew parallels to the psychological weight of prolonged title droughts—Arsenal's spanning 22 years, Manchester United's 26, and Manchester City's previously stretching to 44 before their recent dominance. Such tension, Keown suggested, is inevitable.

The former defender highlighted Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze as a model of composure under pressure, praising how the 27-year-old has embraced the occasion—particularly given Palace's previous rejection of the midfielder. Keown contrasted this mentality with Zubimendi's current predicament, describing the midfielder as someone navigating genuine difficulty but deserving of supporter backing.

Keown also praised the return of Bukayo Saka to the pitch, noting how the winger's presence restored important attacking connections. He acknowledged the mounting frustration surrounding Arsenal's campaign, characterising the journey as akin to "climbing Mount Everest," yet insisted that with four matches remaining in the league and a Champions League semi-final berth secured, focus must shift from external noise to on-pitch execution.

On the title race mechanics, Keown cautioned against complacency regarding Manchester City's remaining fixtures, particularly with the FA Cup final scheduled a week before the season's conclusion—a potential complication in City's pursuit of Arsenal.