Roy Keane has expressed doubts about Arsenal’s ability to “step up” and win crucial matches as they aim to end their four-and-a-half-year trophy drought.
Arsenal’s push for the Premier League title has faltered in recent weeks, with the team failing to win any of their last three games and now trailing Liverpool by 15 points. They’ve also been knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and eliminated from the Carabao Cup semi-finals by Newcastle.
With those setbacks, the Champions League remains Arsenal’s best shot at silverware this season. After a dominant 9-3 aggregate win over PSV, Mikel Arteta’s side is through to the quarter-finals, where they’ll face defending champions Real Madrid.
Although securing a top-four finish in the Premier League is still important, Arsenal’s focus seems to be shifting toward Europe. However, Keane is skeptical they can handle high-pressure situations, suggesting they’ve struggled to deliver in pivotal games.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Keane said: “You look at some of the games this season and think, ‘come on Arsenal’. But when you search for evidence that they can get over the line in key moments, it’s not there. Against United in the FA Cup — a huge match — they fell short. Over two legs with Newcastle, they couldn’t even score. So when you ask if they can step up in big games, I just don’t see it.”
Ian Wright echoed Keane’s concerns, referencing Arsenal’s FA Cup exit to United and their recent league draw as examples of falling short when it counts.
“Right now, I don’t see us stepping up,” Wright admitted. “If you want to face a team that’s low on confidence and relies on one player to save them, you’d want to play United — but we couldn’t break them down. Teams sitting in mid and low blocks are giving us real problems.”