Martin Keown has lamented the state of his former club after Arsenal were heavily beaten in Baku by rivals Chelsea.
Eden Hazard shone for the Blues, while Mesut Ozil struggled to assert himself, with the contrast between the pair Keown’s biggest takeaway.
Without Champions League football again next season, Keown is pessimistic about the future for the Gunners under Unai Emery.
“[It was] a system failure for Arsenal,” Keown told told BT Sport. “[Chelsea were] too good for Arsenal tonight. It really magnifies the decline of Arsenal football club. It’s nowhere near the club it once was.
“Whether it was [Arsene] Wenger was there too long. Recruitment is what it has to be, and I don’t know if the budget is there to bring Arsenal into the top four next season.
1/22 Petr Cech – 7
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2/22 Sokratis Papastathopoulos – 6
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3/22 Laurent Koscielny – 6
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4/22 Nacho Monreal – 5
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5/22 Ainsley Maitland-Niles – 7
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6/22 Lucas Torreira – 5
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7/22 Granit Xhaka – 6
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8/22 Sead Kolasinac – 5
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9/22 Mesut Ozil – 5
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10/22 Alexandre Lacazette – 6
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11/22 Pierrer-Emerick Aubameyang – 6
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12/22 Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6
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13/22 Cesar Azpiulicueta – 7
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14/22 David Luiz – 7
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15/22 Andreas Christensen – 7
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16/22 Emerson – 7
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17/22 N’Golo Kante – 6
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18/22 Jorginho – 6
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19/22 Mateo Kovacic – 6
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20/22 Pedro – 7
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21/22 Olivier Giroud – 8
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22/22 Eden Hazard – 8
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1/22 Petr Cech – 7
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2/22 Sokratis Papastathopoulos – 6
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3/22 Laurent Koscielny – 6
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4/22 Nacho Monreal – 5
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5/22 Ainsley Maitland-Niles – 7
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6/22 Lucas Torreira – 5
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7/22 Granit Xhaka – 6
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8/22 Sead Kolasinac – 5
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9/22 Mesut Ozil – 5
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10/22 Alexandre Lacazette – 6
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11/22 Pierrer-Emerick Aubameyang – 6
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12/22 Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6
AFP/Getty Images
13/22 Cesar Azpiulicueta – 7
AP
14/22 David Luiz – 7
Action Images via Reuters
15/22 Andreas Christensen – 7
AFP/Getty Images
16/22 Emerson – 7
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17/22 N’Golo Kante – 6
AP
18/22 Jorginho – 6
AFP/Getty Images
19/22 Mateo Kovacic – 6
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20/22 Pedro – 7
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21/22 Olivier Giroud – 8
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22/22 Eden Hazard – 8
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“You mention about keeping the players. Aubameyang and Lacazette, it won’t be easy to hold onto those players. It severely dents the budget. Maybe £40 million worse off.
“He’s [Unai Emery] put a lot of work into this, tried to wring out intensity. The judgement of players, the type of player that’s been bought has been more technical, and the, toughness, steeliness doesn’t seem to be there.
“They conceded 51 goals last year, 51 this year, it’s the same group of players, so a major change is needed. Where’s the money gonna go from? Is the owner gonna put his own money in for once?
“I think Emery is the right manager but he needs to be supported. He is a good coach and he has got desire. Unfortunately he has got more desire than a lot of his players.”
Keown severely criticised Ozil, but made time to praise Chelsea’s Belgian maestro, who looks set to leave for Real Madrid this summer.
Ozil has come in for criticism after his performance vs Chelsea (REUTERS)
“Tonight it must’ve felt like the garden of Eden,” Keown added added. “He was so full of talent and quality. The club’s fallen from a huge height. They have Hazard, we had Ozil. He couldn’t get Aubameyang or Lacazette in the game. They had too much for Arsenal.
“Ozil is your biggest player, and he cannot play away from home. Half the games he’s not available for. Something’s gotta give there.
“He needs to be with better players in a possession based team, because out of possession he’s not doing enough. He might think he is, but he isn’t.
“I feel for the fans that made the journey. It did become disappointing and embarrassing in the end.”
