‘They can’t make mistakes’ – Martin Keown warns defensive duo ahead of West Ham clash

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·3 October 2025

‘They can’t make mistakes’ – Martin Keown warns defensive duo ahead of West Ham clash

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has warned the central defensive pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães over making mistakes this season. The pair have been resolute yet again, contributing immensely to our impressive defensive record so far. The Gunners have only conceded a single goal from open play, scored by arguably the best striker in the world, while they have only conceded three goals in total. A total of six clean sheets have been amassed from nine games as well.

The pairing of Gabriel and Saliba did not feature in all the games due to injury and it gave Cristhian Mosquera the opportunity to impress. Barring a costly, indirect error against Newcastle, the former Valencia man has been flawless, combining pace and power to devastating effect in the backline. Gabriel is the only player among the trio to feature in every game this season, while William Saliba missed clashes against Nottingham Forest and Athletic Club.

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Keown urges Arsenal pair to stay sharp

It is because of the performances of Mosquera that Martin Keown has warned Gabriel and Saliba to stay error free this campaign, given the competition that he has brought. Speaking via Metro, the legendary defender said: “Mosquera, the new acquisition, he’s really top draw. He has the same DNA as [Saliba and Gabriel], Kiwior perhaps didn’t. He wasn’t as quick or as strong. It’s a high level now and Mosquera will push them to play even better. They can’t make mistakes.”

Mosquera (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

Strong competition for Arteta’s backline

Like I alluded to earlier, all three of them have been impressive this campaign. The big Brazilian has even won us three points already this season with his late winner against Newcastle a week ago, while Saliba and Mosquera have been equally instrumental in vital wins. In addition to Mosquera, Piero Hincapié and Riccardo Calafiori will also provide more options for Mikel Arteta to choose from, an invaluable asset ahead of a gruelling campaign.

Your thoughts welcome in the comments.

Benjamin Kenneth

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