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Martin Keown has given a critical verdict on Arsenal forward Willian, accusing him of playing with no purpose in his game.

The Gunners signed the 32-year-old in the summer transfer window after Chelsea opted against renewing his contract at Stamford Bridge, which saw him make the move across London to the Emirates Stadium.

Willian, who won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, joined the Arsenal squad with the expectation of adding some extra experience in the dressing room and also quality on the pitch.

The Brazilian right-winger has zero goals and three assists in 15 games across all competition so far this season, with most of his teammates also enduring underwhelming starts to the campaign.

He’s a part of a team that are sat 15th in the Premier League table right now, with pressure massively building around manager Mikel Arteta.

Ex-Arsenal defender and pundit Keown has singled out Willian as someone who is offering very little creativity on the pitch, explaining that he needs to be braver in possession in the final third.

“Willian has come to Arsenal football club, it’s like he’s taken a holiday. I honestly could stand out on the right wing and do what he does. If you roll me the ball and I just pass it back to you I’m not effecting the game,” Keown told talkSPORT.

“Take the player on, make something happen, get to the byline, don’t just cross it from deep. How does [Pierre-Emericks] Aubameyang get on the end of a cross when it’s just a hopeful ball into the box? You’ve got to play with purpose.”

TBR’s View:

Willian has certainly underperformed in an Arsenal shirt so far, but Keown has perhaps come down a little bit too harsh on him due to the fact he’s at least tried to be positive at certain times on the pitch.

The Gunners have looked completely out of ideas as an attacking unit and it’s a huge problem that Arteta needs to solve, but the ex-Chelsea winger has the quality to produce something out of nothing.

He is a speedster that needs to start delivering on a more consistent basis, but the same blame could be pinned on most of the attackers within the squad.