Arsenal legend Martin Keown has blamed Bukayo Saka for the Gunners loss to Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League second leg quarter-final.
Recall that the Gunners went down 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter final second leg.
After a 2-2 draw at home, the Gunners could not muster any real chances on goal in the second leg, with Saka having a standout poor night.
Reacting to the game, Keown stated that Saka’s inability to convert some of the chances that came the team’s way cost the team badly.
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“It was very disappointing, kind of summed up at the end there when Saka for some reason taking a free kick [short] when there was the opportunity to really test the goalkeeper,” Keown told TNT Sports.
“You just saw that little bit of lack of experience. There needs to be more urgency in the closing exchanges. Saka made that decision in the moment.
“I admire that as well. But I think he might have been better taking that delivery from the free kick and it might have been a wonder goal.
“You wanted to see the ball going in the box. That urgency wasn’t there and I think that’s a lack of experience, of being in those major games, and knowing what to do in those critical moments.
“No real urgency in those closing stages. Hugely disappointing. Just feel as though we didn’t really lay a glove on them in this second tie. It was there if we wanted it, as Owen said, and Bayern came out with the resolve, direct, and posed much more of a threat than Arsenal did. Look at that, sums it up doesn’t it, the last action of the game.
‘I think the cautiousness of the game really helped Bayern to sort of, “okay, let’s change gear in the second half,” and Arsenal never really did that. They contained Arsenal.
“It was just such a flat performance, even at the end there, the ball, get it in the box, get it in there, try and affect, and they didn’t seem prepared to do that. You don’t deserve to go through if you play a performance like that tonight
