Alan Shearer highlights potential job loss for Mikel Arteta
Alan Shearer believes Mikel Arteta could lose his job at Arsenal should the club finish as runners-up for a fourth successive season, reports BritPanorama.
The former Premier League striker made this assertion following the Gunners’ 2-2 draw against bottom-of-the-table Wolves on Wednesday evening, where they surrendered a two-goal lead. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for Arsenal within the first five minutes, and Piero Hincapie extended the advantage shortly after the hour mark.
However, the match took a turn when Hugo Bueno pulled one back for Wolves with an impressive curling strike in the 61st minute. As the game approached full time, disaster struck for Arsenal. An entanglement between Gabriel and goalkeeper David Raya allowed Tom Edozie to equalise deep into stoppage time, resulting in the first instance in Premier League history where a league leader dropped points after being two goals up against a side in the relegation zone.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer commented, “If he doesn’t win the league, he might not be at Arsenal.” He further elaborated that given Arsenal’s failures to capitalize on previous opportunities and the investment made in the squad, winning the league is crucial.
Despite Arsenal sitting at the top of the league, they possess only 58 points after 27 matches, which marks them as the weakest league leaders in the past decade. Comparatively, Leicester City boasted a higher tally during their 2015/16 title win, whereas Liverpool had six more points at the same stage last season.
As Arsenal’s domestic fortunes falter, their European campaign stands in stark contrast, with the team achieving a perfect record in the Champions League, winning all eight of their group matches. Amidst the growing pressure, Gary Lineker suggested on the podcast that winning the Champions League may serve as a lifeline for Arteta, who must navigate through the turbulent waters of Premier League expectations.
Manchester City now has an opportunity to close the gap with Arsenal to just two points when they face off on Saturday. Micah Richards cautioned that Arteta’s current approach, particularly his reliance on set pieces, could backfire, stating, “If he doesn’t win the league at the end of it, he’s going to be judged for the football that he plays.”
As the Gunners brace for upcoming fixtures, the urgency of their situation becomes clear: a club with lofty ambitions cannot afford to remain stagnant as pressure mounts both from within and outside.
