“Forget the players, it’s on you now” - Mikel Arteta’s credentials to lead Arsenal questioned by ex-Liverpool man
Former Liverpool star Stan Collymore has expressed concerns over Mikel Arteta's future at Arsenal following the Gunners' Champions League quarter-final exit.
The north Londoners were defeated 3-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich after a lacklustre display in the second leg of this tie on April 17. Before that, they also slipped up against Aston Villa, losing that Premier League match 2-0 at home on April 14.
This result has seen the Gunners drop to the second spot in the league standings and they are now chasing Manchester City, who have a two-point advantage at the top. Keeping these results in mind, Collymore wrote in his CaughtOffside column:
"So if Arsenal don't win the title, (especially as they are out of the CL now), do we have a serious conversation about whether he's the man to take the big silverware to the Gunners?
"£690 million spent, playing Kai Havertz in midfield against a well drilled Villa team who outfought and out-thought them in the second half... if there's another choke on the same scale as last year, then surely Arsenal need to least be looking around the market to see if there's someone who can get them over the line."
Arteta joined the Gunners in December 2019 and has remained in charge for 225 matches across competitions. So far at the Emirates, he's won one FA Cup title to go with two Community Shields.
Insisting that the pressure is very much on Arteta now to prove himself, Collymore further wrote:
“Pressure is on, Mikel. Forget the players, it’s on you now to prove you can lead when it matters.”
Mikel Arteta calls for a reaction in the Premier League title race after Arsenal's loss to Aston Villa
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta believes that the Gunners need to react after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday (April 14). The Gunners recorded just four attempts on target from their 18 shots in this tie.
Now, with Manchester City favorites to win the league once again, Arteta's side need to keep the pressure on by beating Wolves on Saturday (April 20). The Spanish coach said after his team's defeat to the Villans (Eurosport):
"We have to praise the opponent, they beat us and now we have to move. It's time to react."
Should Arsenal lose the league title this season as well, it would be a crushing blow for Arteta, who nearly crossed the line last season. In the 2022/23 campaign, the Gunners led the race for 248 days only to lose out to Manchester City by five points at the end of the season.