Martin Keown and Joe Cole have disagreed on what they believe the outcome will be in the Premier League top four race after Arsenal's latest victory against Aston Villa.
Mikel Arteta's side bounced back from their midweek set back against Liverpool courtesy of a first half Bukayo Saka strike that separated the two sides at Villa Park in Saturday's early kick off. A resilient defensive performance from the midfield axis of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka provided the right cover for both Ben White and Gabriel to thwart the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Ollie Watkins to ensure the points headed back to north London.
It's a three points which felt massively significant as demonstrated by the way the players celebrated at full-time with the loyal travelling Gunners fan base, who are once again dreaming of Champions League football. The red side of North London now sit four points clear of Ralf Rangnick's inconsistent Man United outfit who currently occupy the fifth place position, while one of Spurs and West Ham can increase the pressure on the sides above of them when they face each other on Sunday.
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Despite Arsenal's improving form in general throughout the season, Gunners icon Keown has surprisingly backed Antonio Conte's side to snatch the final place due to the run in of both rivals: "There’s a lot of games to go, and I still put Spurs as favourites to make it into the top four. Arsenal are in the box seat I know, but when you look at the fixtures, games away at Chelsea, Spurs. It’s tough," the former centre half said on BT Sport.
"It's in Arsenal’s hand and if they keep performing as they are they’ll do it, but it’s a long way to go. Palace next, there’s a lot of tough games coming up. They’ve won five games on the bounce away from home, they’re showing they are resilient and that they’re a different Arsenal. But, let’s keep our feet on the ground and enjoy the ride."
Meanwhile, alongside former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor, Joe Cole has picked Arteta's side to make the final cut. He countered Keown's point by saying: "I think Arsenal are in the driving seat. It’s false humility from Martin! I’ve been critical of this team, but today and in previous weeks they’ve shown resilience, tactical awareness and I think a lot of it comes from Mikel Arteta and his staff. They deserve a lot of credit."
