Ian Wright urges Arsenal hierarchy to back under-fire Mikel Arteta in the January transfer with crisis deepening after Everton loss… and he claims Gunners could get ‘dragged in’ to relegation fight
Ian Wright has urged Arsenal’s board to back manager Mikel Arteta in the January transfer market as pressure mounts on the under-fire boss after the Gunners’ defeat at Everton.
Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Goodison Park made it seven Premier League games without a win for Arteta’s side, as the club linger around the relegation places heading towards Christmas.
The Spaniard’s job is under pressure with discontent growing among supporters, but Arsenal legend Wright says that the club’s hierarchy must support Arteta by bringing in new players in January.
Ian Wright has urged Arsenal’s board to back Mikel Arteta in the January transfer window
The Gunners are winless in seven top flight games after losing at Everton on Saturday
‘I think they’ve come out and backed him – and rightly so, he’s a good coach – and they’re going to have to have to do something for him in January,’ Wright told DAZN.
‘I think with the current players he’s got – I’m not saying Arsenal are going to go down, of course I’m not saying that – if you can’t arrest that slide, you will get dragged in.
‘And then you’re going to be under real pressure to get yourselves out of it, then people have to perform to a certain level to get yourselves out of it.
Pressure is growing on Arteta, who has overseen this poor run of performances at Arsenal
‘Because other teams can smell that blood and they will go for you. It’s a very ruthless league.’
Arteta replaced previous manager Unai Emery only 12 months ago and guided the club to an eighth place finish as well as winning the FA Cup and Community Shield.
There had been high hopes that the club could mount a challenge for the top four having brought in the likes of Gabriel Magalhães, Thomas Partey and Willian in the summer window.
But Wright says the boss needs to be backed in the window to bring in the right players
However, a significant drop off in form from star man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has meant goals have dried up for the Gunners, while Arsenal’s leaky defence has not been addressed with the side conceding sloppy goals.
Wright says that, given Arsenal’s goalscoring woes, the emphasis must be placed on defending resolutely to give the team a chance of picking up points moving forwards.
‘Arsenal are going through a phase at the moment where they do not seem to be able to create the kind of chances that are giving them opportunities to score, so they have to be exemplary in another area and it’s defending,’ he added.
