Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown was heavily critical of Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ performance against Vitoria Guimaraes last night.

The 22-year-old started on the right-wing but was substituted at half time after giving the ball away for the Portuguese side’s second goal just before the interval. Keown thinks he may have blown his chance of regular first-team action:

“He has great ability, but he’s wasting his talent at the minute. His career is slipping away. You get a moment in time to by an Arsenal player. It may have gone for him, because the manager dragged him off at half-time. He may never get another opportunity.”

Maitland-Niles has had a strange season. The utility player started out as first-choice right-back in the absence of Hector Bellerin, but an injury led to Calum Chambers moving ahead of him in the pecking order.

He has also spoken out about being played out of position, saying he prefers to play more centrally in midfield, but his mistake last night will certainly not help his chances of getting more matches in the middle of the pitch.

Whether Maitland-Niles will get another opportunity in Arsenal’s next Europa League game against Vitoria in Portugal, we shall have to wait and see.