MARTIN KEOWN: The enthusiastic children appeared as weak stars when Arsenal beat Chelsea: Mikel Arteta must persevere



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MARTIN KEOWN: Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners showed loose Chelsea stars, now he must keep his youthful focus on Arsenal and manage the energy of his brilliant attacking options.

The youthful energy at the top of the Arsenal team was refreshing to watch. Mikel Arteta did not have disinterested players on the field. He had youngsters playing for the jersey with a burning desire to make their mark.

Gabriel Martinelli on the left and Bukayo Saka on the right addressed their opponents and acted as reverse wingers.

That allowed Arsenal’s full-backs to fly forward, with Kieran Tierney shining as a left-back. Tierney played with real determination to get the job done and Martinelli matched his effort in front of him on that band.

The youthful exuberance paid off for Arsenal as they scored a much-needed win against Chelsea

The youthful exuberance paid off for Arsenal as they scored a much-needed win against Chelsea

The Gunners defeated the Blues via a complete 3-1 win at home on Saturday

The Gunners defeated the Blues via a complete 3-1 win at home on Saturday

Arsenal’s work without the ball did not give Chelsea a chance. Emile Smith Rowe is clearly a very good technical player. He’s smart in his passing and more than defended himself against a talented side.

Let’s not argue with Saka’s goal either: if he says he meant it, then I believe him! It was a fantastic ending, with the way he did it to roll it into the corner.

Arteta must continue with this approach. There was a simplicity about it. The back four were solid and the two wide men were cutting in and causing trouble for Chelsea.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown says Mikel Arteta must have the bottle to stick to his side

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown says Mikel Arteta must have the bottle to stay with his side

Smith Rowe was eliminated in the 65th minute and Martinelli in the 71st. It was then that Arsenal went through the most difficult stage of the game. His work rate went down. The Martinelli closure was lost.

Arteta knows that he has to manage the energy levels of his young players, given how demanding the Christmas calendar is.

But the good news for the Arsenal manager is that they were able to see victory and he can turn to these kids again. They brought something special to the team.

Stars like Gabriel Martinelli ensured that Arteta enjoyed the comforts of home and three points

Stars like Gabriel Martinelli ensured that Arteta enjoyed the comforts of home and three points



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