Mikel Arteta could be handed another Premier League title after back-to-back defeats to Arsenal, with Richard Keys insisting he needs a replacement
Mikel Arteta could miss out on the Premier League again as Arsenal collapse late in the season (Image: Getty)
Manager Richard Keys insists Mikel Arteta will be sacked if Arsenal fail to compete for the Premier League title again.
The Gunners have been at the top of the table for much of the season and held a nine-point lead in the summit clash just a few weeks ago. Although it looked like they would finally end their 22-year wait for the league title by a wide margin over Manchester City, the team’s recent collapse has been noticeable.
Arsenal have lost four of their last six games. That includes back-to-back league defeats against Bournemouth and then City. The Manchester side won 2-1 on Sunday and can go top of the table with a win against Burnley on Wednesday night.
Arteta has now recorded three consecutive second-place finishes. In 2023 and 2024, Arsenal took control of the title race, but defeat in the final week proved decisive, allowing City to snatch the march and finish at the top, and now that repeat could happen again.
Arsenal’s bosses have invested heavily in Arteta’s team, but Arteta has not won a trophy for six years and Keys is confident they can win a trophy even if they miss out again. He told beIN Sports:
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“If[Arsenal]come second, the only thing that will keep him in the job is to win the Champions League, but I don’t think they’ll be good enough to get close to that. Then that’s the limit. Are they better than PSG? Are they better than Bayern Munich? “He can’t be second again and keep the job. He can’t do it! If they’re not thinking about it now (the possibility of replacing Arteta), they’re not doing their job. ”
Arteta had linked Arsenal as a potential quadruple winner just a few weeks ago. They then lost the Carabao Cup final to Josep Guardiola’s side and suffered a disastrous defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup.
Arsenal face the prospect of blowing a nine-point lead at the top of the table (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)
This left them with European ambitions of winning the league and competing in the Champions League semi-finals against Atlético Madrid. Arteta has been at the Emirates since the end of 2019, stepping down from his role as Guardiola’s assistant to take on his first role as head coach.
He has made impressive progress since arriving in north London, but some have pointed to too many near misses in recent years when he ultimately had a squad capable of landing him silverware. Arteta’s contract with the club expires at the end of next season, but negotiations have been put on hold as he focuses on the crucial weeks of the season.
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