Roy Keane raises brutal Arsenal Premier League title race question after Man Utd win

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has cast doubt over Arsenal's mindset following their slender triumph against his old club at Old Trafford, questioning whether the Gunners' conservative tactics will ultimately prove their downfall.

Despite clinching victory courtesy of Riccardo Calafiori's close-range header, Keane reckons Arsenal's habit of protecting narrow leads could be their Achilles heel once more this campaign.

Last term witnessed Mikel Arteta's side throw away vital points from advantageous positions, holding the lead in seven of their concluding eight matches yet managing triumph in merely three.

The Gunners relinquished advantages against Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth throughout that damaging spell.

"You wonder why Arsenal are still coming up short - it's because they are still happy to sit back at 1-0," Keane said 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 found the net four times during the campaign's inaugural weekend, though the reigning champions were pegged back from 2-0 to 2-2 before ultimately overcoming Bournemouth.

Keane's remarks allude to the 14 stalemates Arsenal amassed in the division last season, concluding 10 points behind Liverpool despite enduring an identical tally of losses.

Fellow pundit Micah Richards lauded Arsenal's defensive resilience, but suggested a more audacious attacking approach might reduce the need to be so defensive at times.

"It's how much you can dig deep," Richards stated. "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 boss Arteta held no illusions about his team's performance quality, but was pleased with the result. "We came here away and won which is a big result," the Spaniard expressed.

"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."

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