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Martin Keown: 'Arsenal have become a cup team'

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown challenges the current crop of players to improve their consistency and shake the tag of being just a "cup team".

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has called for the current crop of players to improve their consistency and claims that they have "become a cup team" in recent years.

The Gunners have won the FA Cup four times since they last lifted the Premier League title - including three times in the past four years - and last season missed out on a place in the top four for the first time since Arsene Wenger's arrival in 1996.

Keown was impressed with the team's performance when they beat league champions Chelsea in May's FA Cup final, but wants to see those displays on a more consistent basis in the top flight next season.

"What I kept seeing in that match was street fighters on the day - for the first time in a number of years it looked like Arsenal were competing and battling in every area of the pitch right from the beginning," he told PA.

"Chelsea were second best on the day - and that was a Chelsea team which had won 30 matches over the Premier League season. Arsenal still have winners in the group, but they are not consistent enough and have now become a cup team.

"Arsene Wenger has to find that consistency, so whatever motivation he gave to the team for the FA Cup final, that has got to be his preparation for every single league game at the start of next season."

Arsenal will begin their 2017-18 Premier League campaign at home to Leicester City on Friday, August 11.

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Alexis Sanchez, aka Alexis, celebrates scoring the second during the Premier League game between Arsenal and Sunderland on May 16, 2017
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Arsenal19116238172139
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
4Chelsea19105438231535
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1995532211132
6Manchester CityMan City199463226631
7Bournemouth198652923630
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa198562831-329
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton196942928127
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford197393335-224
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd196492126-522
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich1936101833-1515
19Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
20Southampton1913151239-276


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