An Arsenal icon argued that manager Mikel Arteta's future could rest on the Premier League title race
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta faces a tense final five games in the Premier League title race(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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Arsenal legend Robert Pires previously warned that Mikel Arteta will be sacked if the club do not win the Premier League this season. The Gunners saw their lead shrink to just three points after losing to title rivals Manchester City on Sunday.
Arteta’s side have suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time this campaign, handing momentum to Pep Guardiola and City at a crucial point. The two challengers could soon be separated by goal difference if City beat Burnley on Wednesday.
Arsenal went behind to a superb Rayan Cherki goal at the Etihad Stadium but drew level instantly as Kai Havertz seized on a mistake from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. In the second half, Erling Haaland proved to be the match winner for City, leaving the title race in the balance.
The Gunners were a formidable force at the start of the season, buoyed by the marquee arrivals of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and new striker Viktor Gyokeres. With an array of options in every position, Arteta seemed set to comfortably end Arsenal’s 22-year wait for a league title and deliver his first piece of silverware since the 2020 FA Cup.
However, club icon Pires, who won two Premier League titles, issued a warning to the Arsenal boss shortly after what appeared to be a successful summer transfer window. Back in September, the 52-year-old argued that the club would likely search for a new coach if Arteta failed to get over the line with his revamped squad.
“In my opinion, if Arsenal don’t win a trophy this year, the management will consider finding another coach,” Pires told Foot Mercato in September. “He’s been here for five years and unfortunately, the title has eluded him. What’s important for the fans is the league title.
“Money was spent in the summer transfer window. He made certain demands, which the Arsenal board has met.
“If Arsenal don’t win the league, I think there will definitely be a change on the bench.”
Robert Pires with the Premier League trophy
Robert Pires was part of the last Arsenal squad to win the Premier League in 2004(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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During his tenure, the Spanish coach has transformed Arsenal from a team battling for European football to one consistently challenging for the title. The Gunners are also set to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals and could end the season with a remarkable double.
The loss to City has raised familiar concerns that the club could continue their trophyless run. However, the Arsenal boss has argued that his side are ready to fight for the league title, despite the disappointing result on Sunday.
“If they need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced. They were talking about it in the dressing room,” Arteta said. “It's a new league now. They were a game in hand. We have three points of advantage and five games to play. So everything is still to play for.
“So we know how much we've won it and we're not going to stop and we're going to go again, that's for sure. Obviously, they were very disappointed not to get a result from the game in the manner that it happened.
“That's the feeling, immediately you could tell that they were talking about, and they said, ‘Okay, we lost an opportunity today, but we have the biggest one now in the next five games, so let's do it.’”
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