Former Arsenal and Aston Villa defender Martin Keown has joked he may have offended royalty after his Player of the Match selection following Villa's dramatic Premier League victory.
Royal Intervention on Social Media
The incident unfolded after Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Arsenal at Villa Park on Saturday. Before the match's stunning conclusion, Keown had already named Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard as his star performer.
However, everything changed in the dying moments when Emi Buendia scored a last-gasp winner in front of the Holte End. The dramatic finish prompted an intervention from one of Villa's most famous supporters.
HRH Prince William, The Prince of Wales, took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice his opinion. "Surely Emi Buendia for Man of the Match?! An incredible game! UTV [Up the Villa]," the future monarch posted.
Keown's Apologetic Response
Reacting to the royal feedback, Keown offered a humorous mea culpa. "I'm really sorry that I've upset royalty, but I actually gave it out - can you believe it? - in the 89th minute. I was a bit early," he explained.
The pundit, who played for both clubs during his career, added with a laugh: "We can unofficially change it. I don't want to be court-martialled."
Villa's Impressive Form Continues
The victory marked a significant milestone for Unai Emery's side. It was their ninth consecutive home win in the Premier League. Furthermore, the result means Villa have now won nine of their last ten league matches.
Their only defeat during that impressive run came away at Liverpool. The win over Mikel Arteta's Arsenal was particularly notable, as the Gunners had lost just one of their previous 21 Premier League away fixtures before their visit to Villa Park.
Villa will now look to maintain their momentum with a busy schedule ahead. They face FC Basel in the Europa League on Thursday before a Premier League trip to face West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal, meanwhile, travel to Belgium to take on Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday as they seek to bounce back from the late defeat.
