Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has questioned the mentality of the current Gunners squad following their 3-0 defeat to Leicester on Sunday.

Unai Emery’s side went down to ten men after 36 minutes when Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off for two bookable offences, but Keown doesn’t think such circumstances should ever lead to a team giving up on the game.

During the 2001/02 double winning season, Keown says Arsenal went down to ten men on six occasions and won five of those matches:

“When the Gunners leave the Emirates, their opponents view them as little more than cannon fodder.”

“This latest surrender at Leicester was Arsenal’s eighth defeat on the road this season. Of their 37 away trips over the past two campaigns they have lost 19, drawn eight and have won just 10. That record is embarrassing…”

“When we won the Double in 2002, we had players sent off in six Premier League matches. We went on to win five of them. I would joke to Arsene Wenger that we were trying to win the league with 10 men.”

Although it is unfair to compare the two teams in terms of quality, there is much to be said about the mental fortitude of that team as well as the Invincibles side of 2003/04.

Certainly away from home this season, and particularly against the Foxes at the weekend, there was very little fight from the Gunners players. They have shown battling qualities on occasions this campaign but the brittleness is something manager Unai Emery has to resolve if they are to progress as a team.