Keown blasts Brighton Manager De Zerbi for over-celebrating against Arsenal

Ex-Arsenal star claims Roberto De Zerbi’s knee slide celebrations for ‘inoffensive’ Brighton would be criticised if Mikel Arteta did the same.

Brighton put the final nail in the coffin of the Gunners' title challenge at the weekend, completing a stunning victory in north London courtesy of goals by Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan. 

Their performance prompted wild celebrations from manager De Zerbi, who was seen running down the touchline and later sliding on his knees on the Emirates Stadium pitch.

Former Arsenal defender Keown said on talkSPORT: "I honestly feel if [Mikel] Arteta did that down the side of the pitch, we'd never hear the end of it. But it's okay for De Zerbi to do it? I like that kind of emotion, but I would say because it's Brighton who are inoffensive and everyone's second favourite team, we turn a blind eye to it. But if it's the Arsenal manager doing it, suddenly it's a problem."

Keown continued to insist to Simon Jordan and Jim White – his colleagues in the radio studio – that his theory "is a fact", stressing that De Zerbi should have been booked for what he perceived as excessive celebrations. He'd earlier criticised Sky Sports commentators Martin Tyler and Gary Neville for apparently being "biased" against Arsenal.

😡 “If Arteta did that you’d never hear the end of it, but it’s OK for De Zerbi!?”

😤 “Because it’s #BHAFC, who are sort of inoffensive, we turn a blind eye to it.”

Martin Keown believes De Zerbi’s knee slide celebrations would be criticised if #AFC’s Arteta did the same thing! pic.twitter.com/7yoGHR9SSn

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) May 15, 2023

 Although they likely won't be winning the title, Arsenal are guaranteed second place and will finish their season with games against Nottingham Forest and Wolves.