Arsenal legend Martin Keown has suggested that Shkodran Mustafi may have saved his career in North London with his performance against Vitoria in the Europa League.
The Germany defender returned to the starting XI as part of a three-man central defensive unit and scored the opening goal of the game in the second half, albeit in a match that Arsenal will hope to swiftly forget.
The Portuguese side went on to pull level with a late equaliser but Keown was impressed with how Mustafi's confidence improved after his goal and suggested there could be a revival around the corner.
“It’s a wonderful ball in from Nicolas Pepe and it’s a big moment for Mustafi because you wondered if his Arsenal career was well and truly over,” he told BT Sport.
“You saw the improvement in him afterwards, the confidence with the diagonal balls, and this will do him the world of good. Whether he gets back in or not, he’s going to play in this competition.
“It was an important goal for Arsenal because without it, they would have lost this game.”
27-year-old Mustafi has featured just six times across all competitions for Arsenal this season, with none of those appearances coming in the Premier League.
The signing of David Luiz from Chelsea in the summer and the return of Rob Holding from injury has pushed the former Valencia man further down the pecking order - and there's also William Saliba to consider when his loan spell with St. Etienne ends at the end of the campaign.
