Martin Keown has heaped praise on Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta after the changes he made during the Europa League clash with Olympiacos.
Arsenal won the first leg of the last 32 clash thanks to a late goal from Alexandre Lacazette, giving the Gunners the advantage heading into the second leg at the Emirates Stadium next week.
And former Arsenal defender Keown believes that Arteta made some important changes to help his side claim the advantage in Greece.
That included his substitutions on the night, with Keown praising the Spaniard for what he did at the Karaiskakis Stadium to help simplify things for his team, after replacing Gabriel Martinelli and Joe Willock with Dani Ceballos and Nicolas Pepe respectively.
“I think they were a bit passive in the first half and not controlling the game the way they would have wanted to. They were losing possession far too often," Keown said, speaking on BT Sport's Europa League highlights programme.
“In the second half, once he [Mikel Arteta] made those changes to the midfield, [Dani] Ceballos coming on was very important, [Matteo] Guendouzi was then sitting deeper and [Joe] Willock was taken off.
“They then went to [Nicolas] Pepe and [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, with [Alexandre] Lacazette through the middle and they looked much more comfortable.
“It was a simple 4-3-3 system, they got the ball wide earlier and [Bukayo] Saka, we know what a revelation he has been, he then is in the area Arsenal want him, it is a beautiful ball into the box and they get the goal they need.
“And then it could have been three or four more goals. It was simplicity at its best. Football is an easy game if it is played in the right way with the right people in the right positions."
