‘Derby will show what Arteta is made of’ – Arsenal boss realising the ‘enormity’ of his challenge, says Keown

A north London derby date with Tottenham will show what Mikel Arteta is made of, says Martin Keown, with those at Arsenal starting to realise the “enormity” of the challenge they face.

Arteta was aware when taking the reins at Emirates Stadium that he had a sizeable rebuilding project ahead of him, however, patience is a commodity that is often in short supply in modern football.

The Spaniard has been offered no indication that Arsenal’s is starting to wear thin, with the expectation being that he will be given time to complete the job he was handed.

Questions are, however, starting to be asked of his ability to deliver the desired end result, with inconsistency continuing to plague the Gunners.

An opportunity to silence some of those doubters is set to present itself on Sunday when Arsenal make the short trip to neighbours Tottenham, with Keown looking for a marker to be put down in that contest.

The former Gunners defender has told BT Sport: “Arteta knows when you come to manage a club of this enormity that when it comes round to the Tottenham game, you have got to win that game and get something from it.

“I think that is what we are going to see, what the team are made of and what the manager is made of. He is in a difficult situation, we know Spurs are the big favourites going into this having lost only one game.

“[Jose] Mourinho has really got his team nice and settled and playing for results, and Arsenal need to get one at the weekend and build from there. It is all about the manager making the decision now and he needs to select an XI he can trust.”

Arsenal are in need of a confidence injection as a collective, with Keown conceding that an out-of-sorts squad have looked short on desire and belief of late.

He added: “If I had anything to say about the Wolves defeat [last weekend], it looked like the players had stopped enjoying their football.

“Arteta has worked under two great managers, [Pep] Guardiola and Arsene Wenger, and Wenger was all about expression, freedom, being creative and enjoyment.

“That came back into their game [in a Europa League win over Rapid Vienna] and they have got to keep that, even though they are under pressure at the weekend, they have got to play with expression and an enjoyment. That is a difficult balance but that is what they have got to look for.”