Arsenal

Martin Keown: 'Arsenal have become a cup team'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 08 July 2017

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown challenges the current crop of players to improve their consistency and shake the tag of being just a "cup team".

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has called for the current crop of players to improve their consistency and claims that they have "become a cup team" in recent years.

The Gunners have won the FA Cup four times since they last lifted the Premier League title - including three times in the past four years - and last season missed out on a place in the top four for the first time since Arsene Wenger's arrival in 1996.

Keown was impressed with the team's performance when they beat league champions Chelsea in May's FA Cup final, but wants to see those displays on a more consistent basis in the top flight next season.

"What I kept seeing in that match was street fighters on the day - for the first time in a number of years it looked like Arsenal were competing and battling in every area of the pitch right from the beginning," he told PA.

"Chelsea were second best on the day - and that was a Chelsea team which had won 30 matches over the Premier League season. Arsenal still have winners in the group, but they are not consistent enough and have now become a cup team.

"Arsene Wenger has to find that consistency, so whatever motivation he gave to the team for the FA Cup final, that has got to be his preparation for every single league game at the start of next season."

Arsenal will begin their 2017-18 Premier League campaign at home to Leicester City on Friday, August 11.