Expert: Mikel Arteta 'under pressure' at Arsenal after 'scandalous' twist
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is facing growing pressure at the Emirates after his side’s title hopes were dealt a serious blow.
This is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, having been 2-0 up, was a “scandalous” result.
He explained that the natural pressure and expectation Arteta faces has been ramped up as they “cannot afford” to throw away results in their pursuit of the title.
Fans’ frustrations were also made clear as boos rang around the Emirates following the draw.
The Gunners have now won just one of their last five games across all competitions, with that coming via a 2-1 victory against a struggling Tottenham at the Emirates.
In that time, they were eliminated from the third round of the FA Cup against Man United, and fell to a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
As a result, the prospect of another trophyless season is looming in North London, and Arteta is beginning to face widespread criticism for the recent results.
Mikel Arteta under pressure after ‘scandalous’ Arsenal form
The Gunners now sit eight points behind league-leaders Liverpool with one more game played after drawing eight of their 22 games, despite having lost just two all season.
Brown, who worked closely with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Ron Atkinson for over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that their hopes of winning the title can now be written off after the run of poor form.
“You cannot avoid pressure at the top level,” he told Football Insider.
“But if you’re a team with designs of winning the league, then by virtue of the fact you’ve got that expectation, you face pressure from all sides.
“It comes from your own supporters, from outside influences, and from the media who will make comparisons between them and the likes of Liverpool and Man City.
“So the simple answer is yes, Mikel Arteta is under pressure to deliver results and trophies.
“For a team in their position, if you’re 2-0 up and giving away two-goal leads, you don’t need me to tell you there’s going to be pressure.
“They’ve got well-documented problems up front with their injuries and personnel, but that’s no reason to give a two-goal lead away.
“It’s one thing if the game’s 0-0 and you can’t score a goal, but giving two goals away when you’re 2-0 up is scandalous, it shouldn’t happen.
“If you’re in a team with aspirations of winning trophies, you can’t afford to do things like that.
“Their title chances are probably gone now because they’ve dropped too many points.“
In other news, Arsenal accelerate January transfer plan after ‘crisis’ talks.
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