Are Chelsea genuine contenders to win the Champions League this season and can Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger trust Mesut Ozil? - TACKLE KEOWN

  • Sportsmail's Martin Keown answered your questions in this week's Tackle Keown
  • The Champions League was on the agenda after English sides' success so far
  • Keown also answered questions about Arsenal, and more specifically Mesut Ozil
  • Harry Kane and the Europa League were also up for debate in football-filled week

Sportsmail columnist Martin Keown answered your questions as we looked back at the Champions League action and ahead to Arsenal in the Europa League.

Among the items on the agenda this week were Chelsea's chances of winning Europe's elite competition, Arsene Wenger's Mesut Ozil conundrum... and just how good is Tottenham striker Harry Kane? 

Martin's responses to all your questions can be found below.


  • Martin Keown

    Host commentator

13:31
That's all for this week!

Thanks for reading, and hopefully a few of your questions were answered by Martin. Tune in next week for plenty more of the same...

13:27
Bobby Madley had a shocker refereeing Arsenal against West Brom on Monday. What did you make of his performance? Harry Hughes, Tyneside

I was quite stunned by Bobby Madley's performance. I felt sorry for Pulis and his players — that was 100 per cent a penalty.

It is no coincidence that the West Brom match was nine days after the last game Madley officiated — Crystal Palace v Southampton on September 16.

He did not look up to speed. Madley seemed sluggish and his decisions were poor.

If teams have nine days between matches, the players are still recreating match situations on plenty of occasions during the week.

They warm down, recover, then warm up and are buzzing for their next fixture. Is it the same for referees who have a nine-day break?

Why did he not referee a League Cup game in midweek? He could even have refereed an Under 23 match. Officiating a youth-level match would have given him the added benefit of getting to know players who will be playing in the Premier League in five years' time.

This would prevent referees from being caught cold the next time they have a nine-day gap between Premier League games.

Referee Bobby Madley (right) came in for heavy criticism during Arsenal vs West Brom on Monday
13:17
Do you agree with Rio Ferdinand that Kane is approaching the level of Lionel Messi? Graham Jenkins, Cardiff

The best in Europe cannot seem to handle Kane and people are saying some very complimentary things about him.

What made someone like Johan Cruyff so great was that he performed at the highest level for both club and country.

Gareth Southgate has got to find a way to replicate Kane's stunning performances with England.

Yes, Kane has scored five goals in his last four caps but Southgate needs to think bigger ahead of the World Cup this summer.

How does he make Kane prosper in Russia? With Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier there are plenty of Tottenham players who will be in contention for the World Cup squad — not forgetting Kyle Walker who until the summer was a team-mate of Kane's.

To get the best from Kane, Southgate needs to get England playing with the same intensity as Tottenham.

Harry Kane celebrates after netting against APOEL this week - he's in fine fettle currently
13:10
Do you agree with Jamie Redknapp that it’s looking like Lukaku will win the golden boot? Amar Singh, India

I said at the start of the season that Lukaku is the player who determines where the title goes.

He has already had a big impact at Manchester United — and I don't think many predicted how adversely his departure would affect Everton.

It always perturbed me that Ronald Koeman and Roberto Martinez had to keep cajoling Lukaku to keep him on track.

The sheer fact that he is now playing for a big club is inspiring him to give great performances.

I think it will be difficult for anyone to stop him winning the Golden Boot but let's wait and see.

Morata and Aguero have also scored six Premier League goals!

Romelu Lukaku is in incredible form after joining Manchester United from Everton this summer
13:00
Is Arsene Wenger right to weaken his team for the Europa League? James Ford, Fife

It's not an issue if you get the right balance between youth and experience.

I remember going on one such trip as an experienced player alongside a number of younger players.

You don't want a situation where it feels like it's the youth team playing. The night before the game you cannot have five new players all having to sing a song because it's their first match.

I don't think it will be like this against BATE Borisov. Some first-team players will be involved and it will be an opportunity for others who are knocking on the door.

Arsene Wenger needs to find the right balance between youth and experience in Belarus
12:54
Why has Arsene Wenger left Ozil in London for the trip to Belarus? Simon Chesters, Warrington

I don't think Wenger can completely trust him any more.

It does not surprise me that Ozil has not travelled. Wenger hasn't taken him because he knows he won't get a performance from him.

We have been told that no-one in the Arsenal squad is at the same level as Sanchez and Ozil but against Chelsea, the others stepped up to the plate.

I can see that Sanchez loves his football and can be totally committed. We don't know with Ozil.

If he wants to, Ozil can respond and tell us that he is 100 per cent committed. Maybe we will see a change in his performances.

But, after playing just seven minutes against West Brom, Ozil will not play tonight. If he does not feature against Brighton on Sunday, we will have a greater understanding of what Wenger really thinks about him.

Mesut Ozil has been left behind in London, and it perhaps because Arsene Wenger can't trust him
12:50
Frank Lampard said he could not think of a better result by an English team in Europe than Chelsea’s win last night. Do you agree? CJ, Halifax

Frank paid this current Chelsea team a great compliment. He watched them do what the Chelsea side he played in did to a lot of teams.

He was saying that this performance was better than all those he was involved in.

If performances are linked to the result, then Chelsea's best result has to be Barcelona in the 2012 semi-final.

Thinking of other great displays by English teams in Europe, I am drawn to Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Real Madrid in the last 16 in 2006 when Thierry Henry scored the winner.

Chelsea's win is up there with the best for many years... Arsenal's Madrid triumph is also close
12:44
Do the results for English teams in the Champions League this week suggest Arsenal have a lot of ground to make up? Jessica R, Southampton

Arsenal do have a lot of ground to make up... but it can be done.

All the English teams in the competition look very well prepared. After a few years with little success, the Premier League sides are re-emerging on Europe's biggest stage.

But do not underestimate how much the Champions League campaign can take out of English teams.

Manchester United have a long trip back from Moscow — a journey I hated.

I never thought all that travelling did a lot of good for the muscles.

Arsenal face a long trip to Belarus tonight but Arsene Wenger has been able to leave Aaron Ramsey in London. I imagine he will be fresh and raring to go to face Brighton on Sunday.

Theo Walcott is one of the Arsenal players making the long trip to Belarus for tonight's game
12:38
Is Antonio Conte right to moan about fixture scheduling ahead of Saturday’s clash with Man City? Joe Steed, Derby

How on earth can Conte complain? He won the league last season from a blank piece of paper in terms of extra fixtures in Europe.

After profiting from their scarcity of games, Conte cannot take issue with a problem caused directly by his own success.

Of course no-one likes playing their rivals close to Champions League games. But there are so many good teams in the Premier League now that you cannot manipulate the fixtures.

It would be one thing complaining if Chelsea had to go up to the Etihad on Saturday but they play at Stamford Bridge!

As a player, I would sooner have a home game after a trip to Europe. City may have had an extra day's preparation but Chelsea have home advantage.

To moan about fixtures actually detracts from the fact Chelsea go into this game in really good shape.

That winner with the last kick of the game will have lifted and bonded the group.

At the start of the season they seemed to miss Hazard and Costa. Now they have Hazard back and, in Morata, a striker who looks every bit as good as Costa.

It shows Conte's strength in depth that he was able to leave Willian on the bench last night. He must be the most unlucky player in this squad — he's been an eight out of 10 every time I've seen him this season.

Antonio Conte is not right to moan about the Premier League's fixture scheduling
12:33
Are Chelsea serious Champions League contenders now? Chris Moore, Roehampton

I was so impressed with the way Chelsea went after Atletico Madrid. The English champions made them look quite ordinary.

There was an excellent balance to Chelsea's midfield. They had Bakayoko sitting with Kante and Fabregas operating further forwards. Bakayoko swatted away any attacks and Kante was like a rash.

There was one moment in the second half where Kante was surrounded by at least four Atletico players. You kept thinking, 'When is he going to pass it?' but he kept holding on. They almost needed to play with two balls — one for Kante and another for everyone else.

Up front, Alvaro Morata keeps on improving and it was a superb re-introduction for Eden Hazard.

In the stands, Diego Costa did not hide how much he wanted his new team to win. You would have thought he may have had mixed emotions but it was if he'd been out there on the pitch the way he reacted to Batshuayi's winner.

While this was a good performance, we are still very early in proceedings.

Gareth Bale oozed class for Real Madrid this week. Paris Saint-Germain are capturing the imagination. So quick is Mbappe that once he has made the ground on a player he can stop and choose where he wants to pass. Both he and Neymar are ruthless and look like they want to make things happen in their careers at this club.

Alvaro Morata celebrates Chelsea's winner... but Diego Costa wasn't too pleased
12:30
Good afternoon!

Welcome to this week's Tackle Keown, where the Arsenal legend and Sportsmail columnist will answer all your questions surrounding the world of football.

Stay tuned for all the latest, starting with Chelsea's Champions League ambitions...

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