Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown claims Mikel Arteta is under enormous pressure and that the club's owners would be "embarrassed" if they lose to Villarreal in the Europa League semi-finals.
After drawing 0-0 at The Emirates on Thursday night, Arsenal lost 2-1 on aggregate to LaLiga rivals and former manager Unai Emery.
Despite reaching the post with a header from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arteta's men never looked like winning. The Gunners produced very little in a game in which Arteta predicted they would "take their biggest move forward."
It's unclear where this leaves Arteta, but with Arsenal ninth and well off the top four in the Premier League, his future appears to be uncertain at best.
According to the Italian website TuttoMercatoWeb, the Arsenal hierarchy is "not pleased with Arteta."
Earlier this month, The Sun published an exclusive that reported “growing frustration from players” against the Gunners manager.
It was the first time the Spanish manager had been in the spotlight since his arrival 15 months ago.
When asked about Arteta's future, Keown told BT Sport, "Well, the decision needs to be made." He is a new boss.
“Emery was present and was also shot. Perhaps he even missed the players. So, even though you have a great reputation, it is not a given that you will be good.
“If you think back to last season, they mostly played with a back five, and they did very well to win the FA Cup with that system. This year has seen much too much chopping and shifting.
“It didn't succeed in this tie, and that's where he was outwitted by the previous manager – and that's where it becomes humiliating for the club and the owners.
“At that point, the spotlight is on his position. That's it; as a manager, you must be a fast learner. I'm not saying he won't stay in the job; the decision will be taken over the summer, but we know if he does, he'll have to have an incredible start to the season next year. He's under a lot of pressure right now.”
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