Mikel Arteta has been told he'll 'definitely' be sacked if Arsenal lose Premier League title

An Arsenal legend claimed that manager Mikel Arteta's future could be decided by the Premier League title race

Arsenal legend Robert Pires previously warned that Mikel Arteta will face the sack if the club fail to secure the Premier League title this season. The Gunners saw their advantage reduced to three points following Sunday's defeat to title contenders Manchester City.

Arteta's team have endured consecutive league losses for the first time this term, handing the initiative to Pep Guardiola and City at a pivotal point in the campaign. The two rivals could soon be level on points should City overcome Burnley on Wednesday.

Arsenal fell behind to a magnificent Rayan Cherki strike at the Etihad Stadium but equalised immediately as Kai Havertz capitalised on a Gianluigi Donnarumma error. After the interval, Erling Haaland emerged as City's match-winner, leaving the title race finely poised.

The Gunners were dominant at the start of the season, strengthened by the high-profile signings of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and new forward Viktor Gyokeres. With quality depth across every position, Arteta appeared poised to comfortably end Arsenal's 22-year wait for a league crown and claim the manager's first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.

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However, club legend Pires, a two-time Premier League title winner with the Gunners, issued a stark warning to the Arsenal manager shortly after what seemed to be a fruitful summer transfer window. Back in September, the 52-year-old suggested that the club would likely look to appoint a new head coach should Arteta fail to deliver with his current squad.

"In my opinion, if Arsenal don't win a trophy this year, the management will consider finding another coach," Pires told Foot Mercato in September. "He's been here for five years and unfortunately, the title has eluded him. What's important for the fans is the league title.

"Money was spent in the summer transfer window. He made certain demands, which the Arsenal board has met.

"If Arsenal don't win the league, I think there will definitely be a change on the bench."

Throughout his time at the helm, the Spanish tactician has guided Arsenal from a side scrapping for European qualification to genuine title contenders. The Gunners are also preparing to take on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, with the prospect of a remarkable double still very much alive.

The defeat to City has reignited familiar fears that the club's trophy drought could persist. Despite the disheartening result on Sunday, the Arsenal manager has insisted that his side have the hunger and determination to mount a serious title challenge.

"If they need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced. They were talking about it in the dressing room," Arteta said. "It's a new league now. They were a game in hand. We have three points of advantage and five games to play. So everything is still to play for.

"So we know how much we've won it and we're not going to stop and we're going to go again, that's for sure. Obviously, they were very disappointed not to get a result from the game in the manner that it happened.

"That's the feeling, immediately you could tell that they were talking about, and they said, 'Okay, we lost an opportunity today, but we have the biggest one now in the next five games, so let's do it.'"