Arsenal icon Martin Keown has now made a claim about Aston Villa manager Unai Emery after his old side failed to win the Premier League yesterday. 

The disappointment was clear for all to see at the Emirates at full-time, with Kai Havertz even close to tears.

Perhaps not too many of the Arsenal squad expected Manchester City to slip up, but they must have felt as if they deserved to win on their own merits.

Arteta oversaw a fantastic campaign in north London – one that would only be bettered by the best Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp team in the last five years or so.

After a frustrating period in Arsenal’s club history they’re now at that level again, and next season will be about winning the trophies to prove so.

That being said, the post-mortem of this season is still rife, and Martin Keown has now been having his say.

The pundit was speaking on talkSPORT today and actually made a claim about Unai Emery, saying he was the man responsible for ending Arsenal’s title push. 

Martin Keown thinks Unai Emery was secretly desperate to stop Arsenal this season

Keown recalled that Emery’s Villa side actually managed to take six points off of Arsenal, with their win at the Emirates being particularly damaging.

The pundit explained: “I think Arsenal didn’t win the league really because of Unai Emery. He took six points off of Arsenal. 

“I am going to say this because I genuinely feel this. He is like a swan on the surface. Very calm, plays against his old team respectfully, but below the surface he is desperate.

“Those little feet are going like crazy to beat Arsenal. He managed it. He stopped Arsenal from winning the league.”

Of course, those of an Aston Villa persuasion will probably rebuff those remarks, believing their manager is a lot more invested in their own interests.

Villa’s win in north London really accelerated their Champions League push, staving off strong competition from Tottenham Hotspur at the time.

Either way, Keown will surely be hoping that the tables are reversed next season, and Arsenal can find a way to beat their old boss, Emery.

All that being said, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer have been left in awe of a £100m striker linked with Arsenal of late.