Martin Keown has reignited his feud with Peter Schmeichel, slamming the Manchester United legend's 'ridiculous' take on West Ham's disallowed goal against Arsenal. Schmeichel, an outspoken critic of Arsenal's style under Mikel Arteta, previously called the Gunners' tactics 'ugly' and 'annoying' after a loss to Liverpool, a critique Keown labeled 'deranged'.
Arsenal's Title Charge
Arsenal, after three consecutive runners-up finishes, are on track to end their 22-year Premier League drought. With two games left against Burnley and Crystal Palace, they lead the table. A 2-1 loss to Manchester City threatened their charge, but a victory over relegation-threatened West Ham restored their five-point advantage.
The Controversial Disallowed Goal
The major talking point came at the death when West Ham's Callum Wilson appeared to equalize. However, after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was disallowed for a foul by Pablo on goalkeeper David Raya. Arsenal boss Arteta praised the 'brave' officiating, and Sky Sports pundits Roy Keane, Ian Wright, and Jamie Redknapp agreed with the decision.
Schmeichel, analyzing on Viaplay, disagreed vehemently, calling the call 'so wrong on so many levels.' He argued that Arsenal would not be top if such free-kicks were given, citing their use of blocking and holding. He criticized VAR's lengthy review, saying it 'puts so much doubt into that decision that it cannot be a free-kick.'
Keown's Response
On talkSPORT, Keown suggested Schmeichel's comments were biased due to his ties to Manchester City and United. 'He's holding his arm! I'd like to think I'm a fair man, this is a just decision,' Keown said. 'What's remarkable is that it's a goalkeeper affected by this... if it had happened to him, he'd have been screaming from the rooftops.'
Keown added, 'He's angry because it's Arsenal. Did he not play for Manchester City? Did he not play for Manchester United? The current rivals and the former rivals of Arsenal.' He emphasized that the foul was clear, with three infringements on the goalkeeper.
Call for Radical Change
While supporting the decision, Keown called for 'something radical' to address wrestling and holding at set-pieces. 'What probably needs to happen next season is if your opponent is marking you in the box, holding onto you, not even looking at the ball, and the ball is delivered, I think maybe we're looking at an immediate red card,' he said.
Keown concluded, 'I believe 100 per cent that the referee got it right, there's three fouls on the goalkeeper. The worrying thing for me is that it takes so long. You've got to be able to see these things quicker.'
