Martin Keown Warns Arsenal Duo Saliba and Gabriel Ahead of West Ham Clash

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has sounded a note of caution to defensive pair William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães as the Gunners prepare to face West Ham United in the Premier League this weekend.

The North London club head into the game at the Emirates Stadium buoyed by their 2-1 win over Newcastle, which kept them in second place, just behind leaders Liverpool.

Keown, speaking on TNT Sports, acknowledged the quality of Arsenal’s current defensive set-up but stressed that complacency cannot creep in.

“Mosquera, the new acquisition, is really top drawer. He has the same DNA as [Saliba and Gabriel]. Kiwior perhaps did not. He was not as quick or as strong. It is a high level [now] and [Mosquera] will push [Saliba and Gabriel] to play even better. They can’t make mistakes,” Keown warned.

Saliba and Gabriel have been integral to Mikel Arteta’s system, forming one of the most consistent centre-back pairings in the Premier League. But with Colombian defender Yerson Mosquera now in the squad, competition for places has intensified — and Keown believes that pressure is exactly what Arsenal need as they push for the title.

Opinion

Keown’s words are both a warning and a blessing in disguise. Arsenal fans know too well how a single defensive lapse can derail a title challenge — the memory of costly errors in last season’s run-in still lingers. For all their brilliance, Saliba and Gabriel must now embrace the reality that Arsenal’s defensive standards must be flawless if they are to dethrone Liverpool.

What’s more exciting is the ripple effect of Mosquera’s arrival. Competition often brings out the best in top athletes, and if the Colombian’s presence forces Saliba and Gabriel to sharpen their focus even further, then Arteta’s men will only get stronger.

The Premier League title race will likely be decided by fine margins — one goal here, one mistake there. Arsenal’s defence has the potential to be the wall on which their title dream is built. But as Keown rightly notes, in games of such magnitude, mistakes are simply not an option.