Roy Keane and Sander Berge Hail Arsenal’s Relentless Work Ethic: “They’re Hunting in Packs”
Arsenal’s intensity and defensive discipline have caught the eye of fans and pundits alike, and now, even rivals are paying attention. Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane and Fulham midfielder Sander Berge have both praised Mikel Arteta’s side for their remarkable energy and organisation this season.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane couldn’t hide his admiration for the Gunners’ fierce pressing game and collective hunger.
“They are hunting in packs. Tactics are out of the window,” Keane said. “They are just closing the ball down all over the pitch. Arsenal’s success, and they still have a lot to do this season, but their joy is coming from hunting the ball down. They have pride and hunger. Have Liverpool lost that a little bit? I think they have.”
Keane’s comments underline what has been one of Arsenal’s defining traits this campaign, a fearless willingness to press high, win second balls, and force mistakes out of their opponents. It’s an approach that has often left even technically gifted sides like Fulham struggling to find a rhythm.
Fulham’s Sander Berge echoed that sentiment after facing the Gunners, describing just how suffocating it feels to play against them.
“In their 4-4-2 without the ball, it just seems so compact, and they seem so comfortable staying there. It’s rare that we play against teams that find it so beneficial that the opponent has the ball.”
Berge went on to paint a vivid picture of Arsenal’s almost robotic organisation on the pitch.
“At times we are in their half or in midfield, but still, it feels like somehow it’s as if someone is sitting up in Row 50 remote-controlling them.”
“They seem so compact, and everyone covers the right space at all times. It’s difficult to find where to attack them and where to overload.”
Such praise from both a Premier League legend and a current opponent speaks volumes about the evolution of Arteta’s team. Once criticised for being fragile under pressure, Arsenal now look like a side that thrives on intensity, defending and attacking as one cohesive unit.
For Keane, that mentality is what currently separates Arsenal from a Liverpool side still searching for their spark. For Berge, it’s a tactical nightmare few teams have solved.
Either way, one thing is clear, Arsenal’s hunger, discipline, and togetherness are making them one of the most difficult sides to play against in the Premier League right now.
