Roy Keane fires stern question at Mikel Arteta as Arsenal doubts shared

Ex-Manchester United skipper Roy Keane has questioned Arsenal's mentality after their narrow victory over his former side at Old Trafford, pondering whether the Gunners' cautious approach will ultimately cost them. Despite securing victory through Riccardo Calafiori's header from close range, Keane believes Arsenal's tendency to defend slender advantages could prove their undoing once again this season.

The previous campaign saw Mikel Arteta's men squander crucial points from winning positions, leading in seven of their final eight fixtures yet claiming victory in just three. Arsenal surrendered leads against Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth during that costly period.

"You wonder why Arsenal are still coming up short - it's because they are still happy to sit back at 1-0," Keane declared on Sky Sports. "And then you think, is that the reason you drew so many games last year?.

"You compare that to Man City and Liverpool. They are always looking to go on and get the second or the third. Even on a bad day they can score two or three goals."

Both Liverpool and City netted four goals during the season's opening weekend, though the defending champions were hauled back from 2-0 to 2-2 before eventually defeating Bournemouth. Keane's observation references the 14 draws Arsenal accumulated in the league last season, finishing 10 points adrift of Liverpool despite suffering an identical number of defeats.

Fellow pundit Micah Richards praised Arsenal's defensive resilience though but suggested a bolder attacking philosophy might eliminate the necessity to be so defensive at times. "It's how much you can dig deep," Richards said. "What has helped Arsenal stay in title races in recent years is that when they get into that low block, they are very difficult to break down. Then you add in the set-pieces and they are a good team. I would just like to see them be a little more brave."

Arsenal manager Arteta harboured no illusions regarding his side's performance quality but remained satisfied with the outcome. "We came here away and won which is a big result," the Spaniard said.

"We were clearly not at our best. We attacked the box and we reacted well to unusual mistakes. The team reacted time after time in an incredible way. Very proud of that because that is why we got the opportunity to win the game. We showed a resilience and a will to win. They put you on the ropes here, you will have to have moments when you suffer. To find a way to win at this ground, I'm very happy with the team."