Shock Arteta sack claims surface as Arsenal vs PSG assumes new significance

A report has explained why Mikel Arteta might not be as immune to the sack as you might think, with the upcoming Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain clash assuming new significance.

It cannot be argued Arteta has worked wonders at Arsenal, transforming them from underachievers who struggled to qualify for the Champions League to perennial title challengers.

Arteta has also guided the Gunners into the semi-finals of the Champions League – the furthest Arsenal have advanced since also reaching the semis in the 2008/09 campaign.

However, there is one very obvious thing missing from Arteta’s time at the club and that is major silverware.

Just one FA Cup and two Community Shields have been banked in Arteta’s reign that began way back in 2019. The most recent Community Shield success comes with a slight caveat given Arsenal only qualified for the one-off match by default.

Indeed, the tie is contested between the previous season’s winners of the Premier League and FA Cup. Manchester City won both as part of their treble-winning season, meaning Arsenal qualified by finishing runners-up in the league.

A fresh update from The Daily Mail claimed Arteta is under no immediate pressure, though a continued lack of silverware could see his position come under the microscope.

The report read: ‘Nobody is putting Mikel Arteta in any sort of sack race with Arsenal second in the Premier League (for now at least) and in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

‘But how long can he go on without winning anything?

‘Arteta is six years into the job and unless there is a comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, this will be another trophyless season for the Gunners.

‘Arteta will point to progress but he has spent handsomely – north of £600million – and on his watch both Manchester City and Liverpool have won the league, with Arsenal’s title challenge meeker and meeker.

‘He has taken Arsenal from eighth in his first season to in touching distance of a Champions League final and a lock in the top four, but Arteta needs to start winning things.

For all the criticism levelled at his peers, many of them can end this season with a major trophy.

‘One FA Cup in six years means that Arteta doesn’t have a never-ending timeline to finally get over the hump.’

Of course, Arsenal’s upcoming semi-final second leg clash with PSG could help put those types of reports to bed.

The Gunners trail PSG by one goal heading into the away leg in Paris. But as mentioned, defeat would resign Arsenal to another trophyless season at a time when rivals like Liverpool (Premier League), and potentially Manchester United or Tottenham (Europa League) are picking up major honours.

Arsenal’s internal stance on sacking Arteta

TEAMtalk has done some digging into the Arsenal hierarchy’s stance on Arteta and his long-term future at the club.

Our insider, Fraser Fletcher, has been informed the Spaniard has no reason to fear – even if Arsenal succumb to PSG.

Sources have told Fletcher Arteta is ‘going nowhere’ and the club ‘trust him fully.’

Evidence of that will come in the summer transfer window when Arteta is provided with a raft of impactful new signings.

Top of the agenda is a new striker and sporting director, Andrea Berta, is understood to be making progress on that front…

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