Should Arteta go if Arsenal don't qualify for the Champions League

Should Arteta go if Arsenal don't qualify for the Champions League

By Jonny Bray 
Last night's 2-0 defeat against Newcastle was a serious blow to Arsenal's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
It has left everything in Tottenham's hands heading into the final weekend of the season.
The Gunners will welcome Everton to the Emirates on Sunday, with the Toffees desperate for a win to guarantee their place in the Premier League next season.
In contrast, Spurs will take on the already relegated Norwich City, with Antonio Conte's side big favourites ahead of the clash.
Of course, if any team can butcher an opportunity like this it is Spurs, but things are still not looking good for Mikel Arteta.
Qualification for the Champions League is a massive part of the next step for Arsenal, and failing to qualify will have a considerable knock-on effect on the short-term future of the club as well as Arteta's job security.

Why Arteta Should go

Defeats against Southampton, Brighton and Crystal Palace have really cost the Gunners in the second half of the season.
After Manchester United and West Ham fell out of the race to finish in the top four, it was just a matter of not dropping silly points, and Arsenal would be back in the Champions League.
However, the Gunners have somehow managed to let Spurs back into it.
You can argue that this is Arteta's fault.
He decided to move a number of players on during January, and while it is clear that many of those names were deadwood, it has left the club depleted in several areas of the pitch.
The Gunners desperately needed extra cover in both full-back positions, in the centre of midfield and upfront during the second half of the season.
And looking back, it's pretty clear that Arteta's decision to streamline his squad during January has come back to haunt him.

Why Arteta should stay

Fans keep saying, trust the process, and despite this being Arteta's second full season in charge, you can understand why.
The team is moving in the right direction.
Firstly, the defence is nowhere near as calamitous as it has been over the last decade.
Then there is the seemingly never-ending stream of talented youngsters coming out of the academy under Arteta.
Not qualifying for the Champions League does not take away those achievements.
Furthermore, for the first time in decades, Arsenal seem to be getting their recruitment right.
Signings such as Takehiro Tomiyasu and Aaron Ramsdale have shown that Arteta does have a long-term transfer strategy and that it is working.

Conclusion

Arteta deserves one more season in charge, but he should definitely go if he fails to qualify for the Champions League next year.
The Spaniard has got several strengths, but the last two results against Spurs and Newcastle suggest that he has been unable to deal with Arsenal's famously soft underbelly, despite a considerable stint in charge.
But it's not over yet.
Spurs are notorious for letting glory slip out of their fingers, and knowing them, it isn't out of the question that Norwich could do the impossible on Sunday.
Photo Credit: Getty Images

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