"Lost that battle" – Martin Keown slams Arsenal star for his performance in 4-1 Manchester City defeat

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has hit out at Rob Holding for his lackluster outing in his team's 4-1 Premier League loss at Manchester City on Wednesday (April 26).

The Gunners failed to extend their narrow lead atop the Premier League table after crashing to a dispiriting loss at the Etihad Stadium. Kevin De Bruyne netted twice, while John Stones and Erling Haaland bagged a goal apiece.

Manchester City

@ManCity

Goals from De Bruyne, Stones and Haaland put Arsenal to the sword in @premierleague title clash!

Here's how it happened

6039

1113

Goals from De Bruyne, Stones and Haaland put Arsenal to the sword in @premierleague title clash! 💪

Here's how it happened 👇 https://t.co/36s6scZq7F

With William Saliba out with a back issue, Holding started his sixth straight Premier League match against Pep Guardiola's side. However, he had a tough time against Haaland and played a part in City's sixth-minute opener.

Speaking on BT Sport, Keown lambasted Holding's performance at the Etihad and pointed out his mistake during the buildup to Manchester City's first goal. He said:

"If I was playing, Haaland would be all I was thinking about. Holding lost that battle. The very first challenge, that's where they concede the first goal. You've got to put your marker down right at the start."

Sharing his thoughts on Arsenal's lack of defensive nous, Keown continued:

"You've got to be physical, maybe even take a booking. But Haaland is just strutting around that pitch and it looked really easy at time. That's something these young Arsenal defenders are going to have to learn, and learn quickly."

The Gunners struggled to handle City in the final third throughout the clash, letting them register nine shots on target in 90 minutes. Aaron Ramsdale registered five saves, which helped in lessening his team's margin of defeat.

Arsenal are atop the 2022-23 Premier League table with 75 points from 33 games. However, they have a tough set of fixtures ahead of them. After hosting arch rivals Chelsea up next on Tuesday (May 2), Mikel Arteta's side will take on third-placed Newcastle United and eighth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

Premier League

@premierleague

.@ManCity in the driving seat

#MCIARS

17623

1271

.@ManCity in the driving seat 🚘

#MCIARS https://t.co/yYtzlfzdnB

Mikel Arteta offers verdict on Arsenal's 4-1 loss to Manchester City

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted that his side were "nowhere near their level" in their 4-1 defeat at reigning champions Manchester City. He elaborated:

"The analysis is clear: the better team won the game. They were probably at their best, especially in the first half, and we were nowhere near our level. We got punished and we could have been punished even more."

Manchester City, on the other hand, took a big leap towards retaining their Premier League title with their 23rd win of the season. They are currently on 73 points from 31 matches with a considerable goal difference of +53.

After visiting Fulham on Sunday (April 30), Guardiola's side are scheduled to lock horns with 14th-placed West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium next month. They will face relegation-threatened Leeds United afterwards.

​