Arsenal: Martin Keown’s Spurs Comparison Vindicates Arsene Wenger

Martin Keown has stated that Spurs are still 10 years behind Arsenal because of their upcoming move to a new stadium, vindicating Arsene Wenger’s reign.

The latter years of Arsene Wenger’s tenure in North London have been much maligned. Criticised for his hesitancy in the transfer, his unwillingness to build a team full of grit and determination and the subsequent mental failings that have his squad, Wenger has, to some, tarnished the legacy that he so wonderfully crafted early during his Arsenal reign.

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The critiques are not without reason, either. There has been sufficient evidence to generate such a vociferous atmosphere at the Emirates, with the team faltering in similar ways each and every year, thanks to the apparent apathy and indifference of their manager.

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However, when contrasted to their local rivals, the Gunners, under Wenger’s guidance, have perhaps enjoyed far greater joy than many would give them credit. Former defender Martin Keown, speaking as a pundit with BT Sport, claimed that Spurs are ten years behind their most bitter of enemies, primarily because of their impending move to a new stadium:

"“They’re [Spurs] 10 years behind Arsenal. The Wembley effect, we did that, and it was never going to be successful for them. I don’t think Spurs fans should get too far ahead of themselves. They have a smaller squad, and that’s due to financial constraints. They’re building a brand-new stadium. We’ve already heard about that from Arsenal and how restrictive that was, so they already have that to contend with.”"

While that may seem like a rather overblown claim – ten years is a very very long time in football – it does pay testament to the understated and underrated job that Wenger has enacted. When moving to the Emirates from the beloved Highbury, the club saw their finances shrink significantly. They provided Wenger with little investment in the transfer market, could not match the ever-increasing wages of modern football and consequently saw many of their star players depart.

Nonetheless, even during such turmoil and financially testing circumstances, Wenger was still able to deliver a top four team every single season. That may not be the most cherished of prizes, one that was vilified when Wenger dared to compare it to a trophy. But it does bring stability to a club that are now, over a decade after making the move, in a position to financially challenge the European elite.

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Keown is simply warning Spurs that the troubles they have seen Arsenal suffer through could well come to haunt them also. They too will be lucky to have as patient and long-term thinking a manager as Wenger, a man who has done an excellent job at providing his club with a future of success.