Steven Gerrard quickly shut down Martin Keown during a live television broadcast on Wednesday when the former Arsenal defender attempted to drag him into an ongoing feud with Graeme Souness regarding Declan Rice. The incident occurred while the pundits were analyzing Arsenal’s Champions League away draw against Bayern Munich.
Praise for Arsenal’s Resilience in Munich
Goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice earned Arsenal a 2-2 draw in Germany, prompting Gerrard to praise the character and mentality shown by Mikel Arteta’s squad. Speaking to TNT Sports, Gerrard noted that he initially viewed the fixture as a prime opportunity for Arsenal to claim a victory and demonstrate their title-winning credentials.
Gerrard pointed out that Bayern Munich were missing several regular starters and that their manager had been unwell during the week. However, he credited the German side for playing like men and causing serious problems. The former midfielder added that it would have been unfair had Bayern lost the match, but he commended Arsenal for refusing to feel sorry for themselves after falling 2-1 behind in a hostile environment.
Shutting Down the Souness Debate
While discussing standout performers, Gerrard expressed admiration for Declan Rice’s display, leading Keown to probe him about Souness’s recent remarks that Rice is not a complete midfielder and plays “old man’s football.” Keown directly asked Gerrard about the comments questioning the player’s top-level status.
Bristling at the question, Gerrard firmly dismissed the topic. He told Keown to forget about outside debates, affirmed that Rice is a world-class midfielder who scored a top-quality goal, and stated that such status does not require defending against discussions originating from other television programs.
Keown had previously defended Rice following comments made after Arsenal’s victory over Leeds, where he praised the midfielder’s improvements and urged observers not to underestimate top English talent.
