Rio Ferdinand reckons Arsenal fans will turn on Mikel Arteta and will be calling for him to be sacked if they're knocked out of the Champions League group stages next season.
The Gunners, who are a point ahead of Manchester United with three games in hand, are favourites to finish fourth this campaign. The Spaniard has done a tremendous job to put the north Londoners in this position given their eighth-place standing last season.
It's not long since Arteta was facing calls to be axed after Arsenal's dismal start to the season with three defeats to open the campaign. But the tables have completely turned with the Emirates club on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League, and now the likes of Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring the Gunners boss as they consider Mauricio Pochettino's future.
Ferdinand, though, reckons the mood can easily flip once again at Arsenal as expectations will be raised if they're playing Champions League football again. And the former Manchester United defender reckons supporters could soon be calling for Arteta to be sacked if the Gunners are dumped out at the group stages.
Speaking on his Vibe with Five Podcast, he said: 'Don't lie. All your fans, Arsenal fans, we know. The hype will be real around expectations. You'll be hyping it up, expectations through the roof. If you went out in the group stages, 'Mikel Arteta out,' I'll be hearing that. You heard that here first!"
PSG have taken notice of Arteta's meteoric rise as a head coach as they look to replace Pochettino in the summer. The Spaniard heads a nine-man shortlist as the French giants are prepared for a complete overhaul with up to as many as nine first-team players up for sale.
Arteta has less than 18 months left of his current contract, which expires in the summer of 2023. Arsenal, though, are confident they can tie their former captain down to a long-term deal.
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Arteta says his side will embrace their tag as 'favourites' to finish in fourth place as Man United, Tottenham and West Ham chase them down. But he insists his side will not get carried away as there's still a lot of football left to be played.
Arteta said: "Well, that's the pressure of playing for this club, to be the best and we’re not there yet. If the objective is that, it's not pressuring, it has to be a motivation, a challenge and a clear understanding that the purpose to play for this club is only to be the best and what we've done so far means absolutely nothing and I think everybody has to be encouraged and empowered by the possibility to find ways to improve and get better."
Asked if it's an advantage to have games in hand, he added: "Well, it certainly puts you in a position where you're really looking forward to look up and it gives you the belief that you can be there with the top teams in the country, but the reality is that there's still a long way to go."
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