Martin Keown Criticizes Schmeichel’s ‘Ridiculous’ Take on West Ham Goal Dispute

Martin Keown Confronts Peter Schmeichel Over Disallowed Goal Controversy

Martin Keown has reignited his long-standing rivalry with Peter Schmeichel, criticizing the former Manchester United goalkeeper’s comments on a controversial disallowed goal during West Ham’s match against Arsenal. Schmeichel’s remarks were described as ‘ridiculous’ by Keown, who took issue with the Danish legend’s take on the incident.

Schmeichel has been vocal in his criticism of Arsenal’s style under Mikel Arteta, calling it ‘ugly’ and ‘annoying’ after a defeat to Liverpool in September. Keown responded by labeling this critique as ‘deranged.’ Despite three consecutive runners-up finishes, Arsenal are now in a strong position to end their 22-year Premier League title drought this season, with just two games left against Burnley and Crystal Palace.

The Gunners’ title hopes looked shaky after a 2-1 loss to Manchester City last month, but a thrilling derby win against West Ham restored their five-point lead at the top of the table. However, the match’s main talking point came late in the game when Callum Wilson scored a goal that was later disallowed due to a foul in the build-up.

Arteta praised the officiating, and Sky Sports pundits Roy Keane, Ian Wright, and Jamie Redknapp agreed that the referee and his team made the correct decision.

Schmeichel, however, took a different stance on Viaplay, claiming the decision to disallow Wilson’s goal was ‘so wrong on so many levels.’ He argued that Arsenal would not be leading the league if such a foul had been called. Schmeichel highlighted the inconsistency in how such fouls have been treated throughout the season, suggesting that the lengthy VAR review cast doubt on the decision.

Keown, speaking on talkSPORT, suggested that Schmeichel’s comments might be influenced by his connections to both Manchester City and Manchester United. He pointed out that Schmeichel would likely have reacted strongly if he had been the one fouled. Keown also noted that Schmeichel’s anger stems from the fact that the incident involved Arsenal, despite his history with other clubs.

Keown believes that the correct call was made, but he feels that more radical measures may be needed to address the frequent wrestling and holding at set-pieces in the Premier League. He proposed that immediate red cards could be considered for players who hold onto opponents in the box.

He emphasized that the referee got the decision right, citing three fouls on the goalkeeper. However, Keown expressed concern about the time it took to make the call and the need for quicker decisions. He stressed that referees should be able to see these incidents in real-time rather than relying on still images.

When asked if the title race is over, Keown said, “We’ll have to wait and see. There are still two games to go.” He urged the team to focus on their performance and not be distracted by the noise around them.