"I think that's deranged" - Arsenal legend hits back at Peter Schmeichel for calling Gunners'ugly' in loss to Liverpool

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has claimed that Peter Schmeichel's criticism of the Gunners' playing style is unbalanced. This follows Schmeichel's assertion that Mikel Arteta's side played an ugly and annoying brand of football in their 1-0 Premier League loss to Liverpool before the international break.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Keown insisted that it's too early to write off the 2024-25 Premier League runners-up this season, saying (via the Daily Mail):

"Looking back, I hope we don’t regret it, but it’s too early in the season to write Arsenal off. I don’t know if it’s been calm in the media. I’ve listened to some people, sometimes these ex-players like Peter Schmeichel has said that Arsenal bring something “ugly” to the Premier League. I think that’s deranged, what's he talking about."

The Gunners registered back-to-back Premier League victories before their encounter against Liverpool. Thus, Arteta's men were expected to register a convincing display against the defending Premier League champions.

Arsenal struggled to penetrate Liverpool's backline and registered a single shot on target in 11 attempts during the encounter. A performance which led to questions and criticisms regarding the north London giants' playing pattern.

However, Keown believes that there's enough room for the 2024-25 Premier League runners-up to make amends this season. The Gunners are ranked third in the standings, having registered six points from three Premier League games this season.

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"I’m really happy with [Eberechi] Eze and [Noni] Madueke coming in” - Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli

Liverpool v AFC - Premier League - Source: Getty

Gabriel Martinelli has revealed that he's delighted that the Gunners signed Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. The left winger also claimed that players are always happy when they have other quality players in the squad.

In a recent interview while on international duty with Brazil, Martinelli said (via Arsenal Insider):

"I’m really happy with [Eberechi] Eze and [Noni] Madueke coming in, and we also have [Leandro] Trossard who plays on the left. We’re always happy when we’ve got quality players around us. It’s a long season, injuries can happen. So we’re glad the club is going after the best players in the league to help us compete for titles.”

The north London giants were one of the biggest spenders in the Premier League this summer. According to Sky Sports, they spent £257 million on player acquisitions, including the £67.5 million signing of Eze from Crystal Palace and the £52 million signing of Maduke from Chelsea.

The recent squad improvement is expected to help the Gunners compete for the league title this season. It is likewise expected to help them remain consistent and avoid the setback they suffered when some of their key players were injured last term.