Mikel Arteta knows full well the pressure is on him right now at Arsenal and he’s been warned he could face the sack.
The Spanish boss looked on as Man City won out over his Gunners side again this weekend, handing the initiative to Pep Guardiola’s men in the title race.
It means Arteta has seen his team lose to City twice in a matter of weeks and once again, squander a massive points lead at the top of the table.
Indeed, according to football presenter Richard Keys, Arteta might be packing his bags if Arsenal do blow it.
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Richard Keys claims Mikel Arteta will be sacked if finishes second again
It really is painful to watch at times. Despite all the good work this season, Arsenal have once again chucked it away when it mattered and it’s now a desperately tight race to the finish.
It will mark a fourth season in a row finishing second if it happens and according to Richard Keys, it could cost Arteta his job.
“I think he’s gone as well,” Keys huffed on BEIN Sports.
“No I’m deadly serious. If they come second, the only thing that might keep him in a job is winning the Champions League. But I don’t think they’re good enough to get close. Semi-finals? I think that’s as far as it goes.
“This was one game today, and they lost a final. You can’t turn the form on and off. They’re not in form, they’ve lost four in a row, including today. He cannot come second again and keep his job. He cannot.”
Mikel Arteta knows he has to win something
There really is no hiding room for Arteta anymore. The pressure is on, massively.
A quick look at what he has spent over his time at the club tells you this is a man who has been backed to the hilt and the time has come to deliver.
Arteta has spent north of £1.1bn since taking over as manager, with significant investment in the last few summers in particular with the likes of Rice, Eze, Gyokeres, and Zubimendi all costing huge sums.
Ultimately, football is about winning trophies and after looking like being on for a quadruple at one point, there’s now a very realistic chance Arsenal end up with nothing.
As Keys says, this might end up not being acceptable. Yes, it would take a big decision to move Arteta on but with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso and other top young managers potentially available, the Kroenke’s might well pull the trigger.
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