Arsenal could finally sack Arteta to hire ‘football’s next elite manager’

Perhaps for the first time in his Arsenal career, Mikel Arteta is feeling the pressure.

Just three weeks ago, the Gunners were harboring hopes of completing their famous quadruple. However, they lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, were eliminated from the FA Cup at the hands of Championship side Southampton and are currently struggling in the Premier League.

The north Londoners remain top of the league with a nine-point advantage ahead of games against Manchester City and Chelsea, but alarm bells have been ringing after Arsenal’s dismal performance against Bournemouth on the back of two other recent defeats.

Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Cherries was not fatal, but it could very well be if Man City continue their form and beat Arsenal next Sunday.

The fact is that it is no longer in Arsenal’s hands. Josep Guardiola’s team can win the title if they win all their remaining games. After that, he put a lot of pressure on Arteta.

What’s going on with Arteta at Arsenal?

When Arteta first arrived at Arsenal at the end of 2019, things weren’t exactly going his way for the Spaniard. This is not the first time he has faced pressure from supporters at the Emirates Stadium.

In his first full season in charge, he led the Londoners to an eighth-place finish. Stan Kroenke and his colleagues could have easily canceled the project early. But they stuck to their guns and the Gunners have finished second in the Premier League for the past three seasons.

But my patience is starting to wear thin. What is so worrying for Arteta is that despite his side sitting top of the Premier League and with a clear chance of progressing to the Champions League semi-finals, supporters were still booing at the final whistle on Saturday.

“Bring me lunch, bring me dinner” was the cry shouted by the Spaniards before this weekend’s defeat, but now it looks like some kind of insult.

Supporters accepted Arteta’s instructions, but the performances on the pitch did not inspire confidence. The players did not bring lunch or dinner. They didn’t even bring boots. It was an anonymous performance.

But why does patience wear thin? Well, football is simply not enough. In fact, it doesn’t last all season. However, it didn’t matter as Arsenal were always winning. Not many people will care if the Premier League title arrives in May.

Still, this is Arsenal Football Club. The club is known for playing exciting soccer. Things haven’t gone well under Arteta this season.

He has rightly prioritized control and solidity at the back, but this has come at the expense of freedom and creativity in the final third. Many have lamented how Arsenal have been set-piece merchants this season and will rightly say the same after Saturday’s defeat.

Against Andoni Iraola’s side, his open play expected goals (xG) was just 0.18. They looked like a team that deserved to be in the relegation zone, not a team at the top of the league.

So, if Andrea Berta and KSE leave, who could replace Arteta?

Main candidates to replace Mikel Arteta at Arsenal

If there was ever a good time to eliminate the Spaniard, it would be this summer. The situation is all set for something of a managerial merry-go-round, with Manchester United looking for a new permanent head coach and Liverpool also potentially benefiting from Arne Slott.

In the Premier League, Marco Silva, Oliver Glasner and the aforementioned Iraola are all out of contract, while Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino could become available after the World Cup.

Elsewhere, Xabi Alonso, who was sacked by Real Madrid earlier this season, is being touted. There’s something almost romantic about the fact that he was an unstoppable force at Bayer Leverkusen, leading his opponents to an undefeated league title.

But who else could you target? Well, there is no doubt that Cesc Fabregas is an attractive appointment. The Spanish midfielder, who played 303 games for Arsenal before leaving in controversial circumstances to join Barcelona and then Chelsea, doesn’t think too highly of the Spanish midfielder.

But there’s no getting away from what an impressive figure he was in the early stages of his managerial career at Como in Italy.

It’s no surprise that Fabregas has been hailed as the next elite manager by some of the world’s most respected figures. At Como, he led the team from Serie B last season and won promotion to Serie A.

Have they sunk or swam to the top table of Italian football? They have certainly swum. Fabregas’ side are fifth in the division, two points behind Juventus in the race for Champions League qualification. They also have games.

So what makes the former Arsenal man so special as a manager? Hailed by Como scout Ben Mattinson as “one of the most impressive managers in the world”, he typically prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Fabregas’ Como team prioritizes a possession-based system, looking to attack and break through. Those last words should be music to the ears of Arsenal supporters looking for more action in the final third.

In fact, statistically, Como rank among the best in the league in terms of ball retention, progressive circulation and pressing strength. It’s really no surprise that they are currently in a very high position in Serie A.

Having played under Arsene Wenger and Guardiola, it would be no surprise if he was influenced by both. Fabregas once told Coaches’ Voice magazine: “My obsession is to play up front as a midfielder. That’s what I’ve always loved, because I like to attack and I like to keep the ball in the final third and that’s where you win games.”

I feel like he’s the exact opposite of what Arteta is like now. He is obsessed with control and plays low-risk football in the final third. All that could change if Arsenal sign another former midfielder in Cesc.