‘The best chance Arsenal have’: Peter Schmeichel’s comments on Arteta won’t sit well with fans

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Peter Schmeichel told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (06/05/21 at 10:35 pm) that the ‘best chance’ Arsenal have of moving forward is by sticking with Mikel Arteta.

The Manchester United legend claimed that he ‘feels sorry’ for Arteta after Arsenal were knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday night.

What made matters worse for Arteta last night is that it came at the hands of the man he replaced in the Emirates dugout, which then puts the obvious writing on the wall.

And whilst Arsenal fans will be waking up calling for Arteta’s head, or expecting him to get the sack, Schmeichel thinks they need to patient with him, which perhaps won’t sit well with the frustrated fanbase.

“I feel sorry for Mikel Arteta,” said Schmeichel. “Do we really know what his brief is? What’s his job? What’s he employed to do? Just get the results now, which the other manager couldn’t do with the same players?

“Or is he going to build for the future? He has been working with Pep Guardiola for a long time. He’s strongly influenced by him. It’s obvious, you can hear it in his interviews. You can see how he played the first game. A false nine, something that Pep would do.

“I think the best chance Arsenal have if they have patience is to give him time. He’s a young manager. He knows a lot about football. He has been a great player for the football club. He has the respect of the fans.

“If he can get through this next period of what a year maybe? And get through a couple of windows. Get some players out. Get some players in and then see where he is at. I don’t believe in this changing the manager.”

Arsenal simply needed one goal against Villarreal, yet they played like a team that was defending a one-goal lead.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the woodwork on two occasions during the game, including moments before he was subbed off, which left the Arsenal supporters, and many others, perplexed by that call.

Attention will now turn to their Premier League home clash against West Brom, and given that Sam Allardyce’s men are fighting for their lives, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they are another team walking out of North London with three points at the weekend.