Martin Keown wants Arsenal to start next season with three at the back

Arsenal legend Martin Keown wants the Gunners to stick to three at the back as it has been a real success story for them but for missing out on qualifying for the Champions League.

Keown is all too familiar playing in this formation and believes that this allows Aaron Ramsey to venture forward more often providing another body up front when the Gunners are attacking. Granit Xhaka is in action at the back to orchestrate the play in front of the three.

The Gunners' stats following their move to a 3-4-3 make for some pleasant reading, with the team winning nine of the 10 games played in that formation, scoring 20 goals and conceding only seven. They won the FA Cup for the third time in four years with the formation, beating Manchester City and Chelsea to lift the trophy for the 13th time in their history.

"Well I think with the group, football is essentially a numbers game," Keown told Arsenal's official website. "By playing three at the back and having one midfielder just sitting in front, which Xhaka was very good at, it allowed Ramsey to get forward and we weren't in any danger with the counter-attack any more.

"That's really been a problem over the past six or seven years. I can think of many occasions when the counter-attack has really undone Arsenal and that balance wasn't there.

"The system is now in vogue. We've seen a Premier League team win with a back three, an FA Cup team, of course Arsenal, winning with a three, and I can see no reason why you'd change that next season. It's been a real success story. We've won nine of the last 10 matches."