Martin Keown has backed Arsenal to get the better of Tottenham this weekend but insists there is ‘not too much between the two teams’ ahead of the north London derby.
Arsenal, last year’s runners-up in the Premier League, won their two opening games of the season in convincing fashion at home to Wolves and away to Unai Emery’s dangerous Aston Villa.
But the Gunners’ 100 per cent record in the English top flight was brought to a halt by Brighton, with Joao Pedro cancelling out Kai Havertz’s strike to silence the Emirates faithful before the international break.
Mikel Arteta’s men have the perfect opportunity to bounce back on Sunday afternoon against their arch-rivals Spurs, who suffered defeat last time out away to Newcastle.
However, Arsenal could be without several of their key players for the eagerly anticipated contested at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Declan Rice is serving a one-match suspension after being sent off against Brighton, while summer signing Riccardo Calafiori and club captain Martin Odegaard picked up injuries during the break.
According to ex-Arsenal and England defender Keown, Arteta’s side will likely have to be at their best to emerge from the derby with maximum points.
‘I like what Spurs are doing, I like the way they play, the unity in the stadium, the togetherness,’ Keown said on talkSPORT.
‘It’s a difficult situation. I think maybe now they will be concentrating more on themselves. The last time Arsenal went there it was more about stopping Arsenal from becoming champions.
‘Now maybe the new manager is setting a new culture and they have got their own trophies they want to win. It’s been a long time. We have to respect Spurs.
‘It’s difficult. You want to go there with your best players but they’re not there. Calafiori is another one who has picked up an injury, [Mikel] Merino, the new signing, the one who would have come in for Rice, it’s not been a lucky start for Arsenal.
‘What they have to do now is make their own luck and go into that cauldron and come out with some points.
‘There’s not too much between the two teams while there has been this period without a trophy.’
Keown believes Dominic Solanke will be looking at the derby as a possible ‘springboard’ at the start of his Tottenham career following a big-money summer move from Bournemouth.
‘It’s been 21 years now that Arsenal haven’t won the Premier League. God knows how long it has been since Spurs won a trophy worth picking up so they’re in a similar boat. Arsenal have won copious amounts of FA Cups,’ Keown added.
‘Son [Heung-min] is a player that might be the difference, [Dejan] Kulusevski, they’re looking at [Dominic] Solanke now coming in.
‘He’s been out, maybe he’s had a good period for him and this is the springboard for the start of his career at Spurs, proper.’
Asked whether it would be a shock if Spurs beat Arsenal, Keown replied: ‘I think it probably would, yeah.
‘I think it would be a huge blow, that’s for certain but I don’t see that happening.
‘I think Arsenal are still good enough, when you look at how many goals they’ve conceded in recent times, the number of clean sheets away from home.
‘Their away record: that’s when you start to look at Arsenal and think they’ve got that pedigree of champions because their away record is quite phenomenal.
Pressed for a prediction, Keown responded: ‘I’m always going to go with Arsenal.
‘But if you earn anything at Spurs now, when you go away from home, they won’t lose too many games and you earn everything you get now to play at Spurs.’
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