Heated debate over Arsenal's decision to sack Mikel Arteta

Danny Murphy and Jim White had a strong argument live on air about whether Arsenal ought to fire Mikel Arteta after the 1-1 draw against Man City, pointing out the dangers and impacts on the defensive line.

Arsenal recently endured a tense 1-1 draw with Man City at the Emirates, where Gabriel Martinelli scored a last-minute goal to save the team, canceling out Erling Haaland's early opener. This result extends the club’s ongoing struggle to win the Premier League, similar to the previous two seasons when Arsenal finished second behind Man City and Liverpool respectively.

After the match, fans criticized Mikel Arteta for excluding Eberechi Eze from the starting lineup and sticking with a defensively focused midfield trio of Mikel Merino, Declan Rice, and Martin Zubimendi. Many argued that Arteta lacks decisiveness and is not the right person to lead Arsenal to a championship.

However, former player and commentator Danny Murphy defended Arteta on talkSPORT. He emphasized: “The issue is, if an Arsenal supporter says 'Arteta can't get us over the finish line,' that’s fine. But who would come in to change the style of play to actually get us over the line? Who is capable of doing that?”

Murphy warned that sacking Arteta could destabilize the team, making the defense vulnerable and the squad disorganized. He added: “They would become more exposed and easier to play against, and suddenly everyone would say 'we’ve lost our stability and strength.'”

Host Jim White tried to shift the topic, but Murphy stressed the importance of keeping the current manager. Other experts like Jamie Carragher noted Arteta tends to overthink opponents, while Gary Neville criticized the repetitive tactics and urged the coach to abandon that mindset immediately.

In the past, Arteta’s only major trophy was the 2020 FA Cup win against Chelsea, but he has yet to bring Arsenal back to Premier League glory. This season, the pressure mounts as Arsenal trails Liverpool by 5 points after 5 games and must prove their ability to compete for titles.

According to The Athletic, the current pressure mainly comes from the media and public opinion rather than the club’s management, and Arteta is not at immediate risk of being fired before the 2025/26 campaign. Nonetheless, this season’s success will be a key measure to determine if he is capable of leading Arsenal long-term.

Arsenal needs to maintain stability and improve performance in crucial matches to avoid repeating losses against top opponents, while ensuring Arteta has enough time and resources to build a title-contending squad.

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