Martin Keown blasts Arsenal stand-in goalkeeper Matt Turner

03/09/2023

Martin Keown blasts Arsenal stand-in for ‘killing EVERYBODY’ with fatal hesitation for Sporting Lisbon’s opener when he stayed rooted to the spot

Martin Keown condemns Matt Turner’s decision making in Europa League tie
The American goalie was at fault for Sporting’s equaliser against Arsenal
Rachel Brown-Finnis blames Turner’s decision making and lack of game time

Martin Keown has slammed Arsenal goalie Matt Turner, after his hesitation at a corner led to Sporting’s equaliser in the Gunners Europa League clash.

The former Arsenal defender was watching the game in the BT Sport studio and accused the American of killing his defence with his decision-making, after failing to command his area and allowing Sporting a way back into the game.

Keown said: ‘Really he’s killed everyone, because he’s started to come and then doesn’t. But Kiwior, too, he’s got to do a little bit more than that.

What I’ll be saying though if I’m playing regularly with this keeper is I’m going to have to go and head things. I can’t really trust him. There he has come and win it and be dominant and he didn’t do it.’

The night had started positively for Mikel Arteta’s men, when William Saliba opened the scoring for the Gunners in the 22nd minute.

Matt Turner watches the ball fly past him as he’s hesitancy allows Sporting to equalise

Martin Keown believes that Turner ‘killed’ his team by not coming for the ball and allowing Sporting to equalise

However, ten minutes before the break a Sporting corner was swung-in and Goncalo Inacio found himself free to head in an equaliser for the home side.

Much of the blame for the goal fell on the shoulders of Arsenal’s back-up keeper, who failed to come and claim the ball, and Keown’s criticism was backed-up by fellow pundit Rachel Brown-Finnis, who laid into the 28-year-old.

‘He doesn’t command his area.’ Said the former England goalkeeper.

‘You know it’s going to be an in-swinger so you’ve got to be a bit flat to your line. He’s not set, so his moving and therefore if your moving you can’t make a decision and go for it – you have to command it.

It’s three yards out, he’s got to go make contact, got to clatter the player. He’s uncontested, which doesn’t help Matt Turner, but the fact that Kiwior does nothing -almost shrugs away – that to me indicates he’s had a shout, but you’ve got to come and collect that.

He’s got to use his arm and got to use his punch and command his backline. For me he hasn’t installed any confidence in his backline, Matt Turner.’

Matt Turner has only played six times for Arsenal this season, with four in the Europa League

Turner’s night almost went from bad to worse later in the first half when he was closed down by Marcus Edwards, which nearly resulted in another opportunity for the Portuguese team. Something that Brown-Finnis puts down to his lack of game time and poor decision making.

‘It looks like Turner is edgy, he’s certainly not confident, and looks like he’s lacking match practice.’ Brown-Finnis added.

‘All mistakes by goalkeepers are bad decisions or bad technique. His decision-making is slow and in a game of this magnitude being thrown in from not having any first-team football since January, Matt Turner is not sharp in that decision-making department.’

Turner has played just six times this season, four of which have come in the Europa League.

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