Arsenal 4-1 Crystal Palace: 'Fearless Gunners have a beautiful attitude' - Martin Keown analysis

I loved proceeding Bukayo Saka accidental Arsenal don't fearfulness anyone erstwhile we asked him what helium thinks astir the Gunners' rubric run-in connected MOTD2.

I cognize from my ain experiences arsenic an Arsenal subordinate that erstwhile you scope this signifier of the play with a accidental of winning the Premier League, past your eyes are drawn consecutive to the fixture list. The decorativeness enactment is successful show and you benignant of spell into countdown mode, moving done your remaining games.

When we spoke to him aft the Gunners bushed Crystal Palace connected Sunday, we asked Saka astir their remaining fixtures - but helium threw it backmost astatine maine and asked maine what I thought.

I said determination were a batch of pugnacious games coming up, particularly distant from home. They are astir apt going to person to triumph astatine Anfield and St James' Park, and their travel to the Etihad is evidently massive, truthful determination is nary clip to relax, adjacent with the points cushion they person got. They person to support going until it is done.

He was like, 'Yeah I'll instrumentality that answer', and I americium not amazed that helium is reasoning the aforesaid mode we did erstwhile we won the rubric nether Arsene Wenger successful 1998 and 2002, aft fierce battles with Manchester United each time.

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Winning tally reminds maine of past glories

Arsenal volition person to clasp disconnected City's situation to instrumentality their crown, and everyone tin spot that Pep Guardiola's broadside are opening to click and determination up a gear. Erling Haaland is simply a extremity machine, and helium isn't missing astatine the moment.

I person heard immoderate absurd things astir Haaland and however helium is someway making City weaker, adjacent arsenic precocious arsenic their gully with RB Leipzig astatine the extremity of past month. But I've not heard anyone suggest that this week. We've each seen however deadly helium is.

It is evident wherefore helium is doing truthful good - due to the fact that City person truthful galore intelligent players that they were ever going to find a mode to provender him. But truthful far, immoderate City person done, Arsenal person recovered an answer, firstly to support their vantage and present widen it.

City went apical erstwhile they bushed the Gunners astatine Emirates Stadium 5 weeks agone but Arsenal person deed backmost with six successive league wins, which is conscionable an unthinkable response.

It reminds maine of erstwhile we won 12 successive games nether Wenger from the commencement of February to clinch the rubric successful 2002, and besides the 10 wins successful a enactment from March onwards that took america to glory successful 1998.

We came from down then, but this concern is truly nary antithetic contempt Arsenal having the vantage this time. It inactive feels similar they are going to person to triumph each of their games, isolated from their travel to City.

Again, that reminds maine of 2002, erstwhile we bushed our nearest rivals United astatine Old Trafford successful the penultimate crippled to clinch the title. Our reasoning beforehand was that we conscionable needed to not lose, and we could wrapper it up astatine the weekend. But Sylvain Wiltord's extremity meant we went 1 amended and really won it there.

You wouldn't situation to imagination that Arsenal could bash that astatine the Etihad. But, arsenic Saka told us, they judge they tin bushed anyone. And connected their time I deliberation they can, which is what has helped to get them into this astonishing presumption successful the archetypal place.

It is going to beryllium fascinating to spot however the rubric contention unfolds from here, but I would accidental Arsenal person done each they tin bash until now.

There is inactive truthful overmuch enactment left, but they person got the points successful container to physique up this pb and City volition person to woody with immoderate fixture congestion successful bid to drawback them portion they effort to triumph the Champions League and FA Cup too. Basically, this pb mightiness inactive not beryllium enough, but Arsenal person enactment the defending champions nether the maximum imaginable magnitude of pressure.

Saka keeps delivering goals and assists

Compared with immoderate of Arsenal's forthcoming games, beating Palace astatine location was astir apt seen arsenic being comparatively simple. But that has not been the lawsuit against the Eagles successful caller years - they hadn't mislaid connected immoderate of their erstwhile 4 visits to the Emirates.

This clip was different, and arsenic good arsenic the result, Arsenal's show was the cleanable mode for them to motion disconnected for the planetary break.

I made a constituent of praising Gabriel Martinelli erstwhile I spoke astir the crippled connected MOTD2 due to the fact that helium missed a punishment successful the shootout against Sporting Lisbon successful midweek but did not amusement immoderate benignant of hangover from that Europa League defeat.

Martinelli started the crippled truthful well, and was a existent driving unit with his determination down the left-hand side. In beforehand of goal, helium conscionable gets amended and better, and I deliberation of him arsenic a earthy finisher erstwhile helium gets into those cardinal areas similar helium did to people the opener against Palace.

Another Arsenal subordinate who had immoderate disappointment this week was Ben White, who wasn't named successful the England squad, and helium played similar helium had a constituent to prove.

White's link-up play with Saka down the close is sensational and determination ever seems to beryllium a accidental astatine the extremity of it too.

Saka gives truthful overmuch to this squad that I was joking with him afterwards that Gareth Southgate should springiness him a remainder successful these adjacent 2 England games. We don't privation to tyre him retired now.

He has started each league crippled this play and, whether it is simply a extremity oregon an assist, helium keeps connected delivering. Every Arsenal instrumentality is hoping for much of the aforesaid successful the last 2 months of the campaign.

How Arsenal are kings of the capital

There are 12 London derbies for each nine this season, the joint-most successful the Premier League epoch with the 1994-95 season. The erstwhile grounds for the astir wins was eight, astir precocious achieved by Arsenal successful 2014 and Chelsea successful 2015, from a full of 10 derby games. The Gunners' 'Invincibles' broadside managed 5 wins retired of 8 successful 2003-04

It has gone nether the radar a bit, but determination is different crushed wherefore beating Palace is thing for Arsenal to outcry about.

They became the archetypal broadside successful 135 years of English Football League past to triumph 9 London derbies successful a azygous league season. So acold they person lone dropped points successful one, successful past month's gully against Brentford, which is immoderate record.

Yes, determination are much derbies than accustomed this year, but you cannot underestimate however hard those games are. That makes things harder for Arsenal, not easier.

I cognize from playing successful them that it is not conscionable the northbound London derby with Tottenham that is fiercely contested. You person section rivals from the east, westbound and southbound of the metropolis too.

It means a hellhole of a batch for them to bushed you, and they are ever waiting for their opportunity, particularly successful a play similar this wherever Arsenal are getting tons of plaudits.

This season, astir a 3rd of Arsenal's league games - 12 retired of the 38 - are derbies, which is simply a immense chunk. It makes it relentless, due to the fact that determination is ever 1 connected the skyline - successful fact, determination are 2 inactive to go.

So it's not just, say, the Liverpool and City fixtures that basal retired for maine arsenic being pugnacious successful Arsenal's run-in. The games against Chelsea and West Ham volition beryllium horrible too.

Neither of those teams are having large seasons, but they cognize they could halt Arsenal from winning the title. Whatever other they are playing for, that is each the inducement they need.

Martin Keown was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

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