Has another season without a major trophy started to put Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta under a bit of pressure? Although nobody is suggesting he is close to facing the axe, we have reached a point where it is worth asking how much time he has left, should the trophy doubt continue much longer. The Spaniard has not secured a major title since 2021, and given the money the north Londoners have spent since, there is pressure to deliver a better return on the investment.
Current Position
There is nothing to indicate that Arteta’s position as Arsenal’s Head Coach is at any risk over the summer. Barring some sort of personal emergency or unexpected fallout with the board, you can expect to see the Spaniard leading the Gunners out when the 2025/26 season begins. There is so little speculation over his immediate future that you will do extremely well to find any bookmaker listing odds for his departure.
That said, there is a growing number of pundits who believe that Arteta could be on thin ice if he fails to secure a major trophy in 2025/26. Jamie Carragher said “There’s no doubt next season the pressure will be on Arteta massively in terms of winning something and winning something big… If they don’t do that, the Arsenal board will have a massive issue.”
Paul Merson, meanwhile, believes Arteta could face the axe as early as Christmas should the Gunners find themselves out of title contention by that point. Another former Arsenal man, Jens Lehmann, was not quite as dramatic but did say that Arteta “has” to win the league title next season and that doing so may require a personality change.
It will be no surprise to read a few more opinions like this over the summer, many of which are echoing the opinion of many Arsenal supporters. How likely is it though, that Arteta finds himself in any serious danger next season?
Differing Priorities
🛫 From matchdays to holidays
Mikel opens up in a fan Q&A from favourite meals to summer plans 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 8, 2025
Football fans want to see their team win trophies, especially when they are so close to pulling it off. Club owners, on the other hand, unless they have some long and deep connection to the club, are far more concerned about revenues. From this perspective, the Arsenal board have every reason to be very content with the job Arteta is doing. Finishing second in the league three seasons running produces a lot of revenue. Not only is there the league ‘merit payment’, which was worth £32.1m to Arsenal in 2023/24, but more importantly, it means qualifying for the Champions League. Reaching the semi-final this year saw the Gunners earn a little under £100m.
Of course, clubs earn the most money in competitions by winning them, but even qualifying for the Champions League generates far more money than winning the FA Cup and League Cup combined. Due to this, it is possible the board will only look to axe Arteta if he looks in real danger of missing out on Champions League qualification. If not, they may be quite content enjoying the solid revenues even if trophies do not come.
Fan/Player Pressure
While fans and players are unable to fire a manager directly, they can influence the opinion of the people who make the decision. So far, most Arsenal supporters are still content with Arteta as manager. Despite the lack of trophies, a survey in The Athletic found that 54% of Arsenal fans deemed last season as ‘satisfactory’ with another 5% believing it to be very satisfactory. Additionally, research they undertook earlier in the season found that only 23.3% believed it was “essential” he finished the season with a trophy.
So, while you do not have to look far for calls of ‘Arteta Out’ across the internet, it is important to remember that the average fan is still satisfied and wants the Spaniard to be given more time. This could well change significantly, however, if he oversees another year without a trophy. That would make it six seasons without a major trophy, a bleak record for a team with so much talent. Should it reach this stage, a growing number of supporters would start to believe that Arteta had taken the club as far as he can.
As well as fans turning against him should he fail to deliver next season, Arteta could potentially face some dressing room backlash. Players may be happy with their salaries at the club, given Arsenal are generous payers, but many of them are also motivated by silverware. Should the squad fail to win anything for another year, could frustrated players begin seeking a change in management? It is certainly within the realms of possibility, given that a club like Arsenal ought to be winning some silverware.
If fans and/or players begin to turn against Arteta, this would put pressure on the board to act, even if he keeps on securing Champions League football. The club stood by the Spaniard the last time he was under pressure by offering him a new contract, but this is quite a rare act. Usually, clubs prefer to ditch unpopular managers and start fresh with someone new, as this calms fan discontent and re-energises any player who has lost faith in the previous manager.
What Does Arteta Need to Do to Keep His Job Safe?
The best thing that Arteta can do for his job security is launch a serious title push that ends up with the Gunners winning the league. If the Gunners spend most of the season in pole position for the title, performance in the other competitions will have little impact. The alternative option for the 43-year-old is to win the Champions League. To survive until the final though, he would need to avoid some Ange Postecoglou-style collapse in the league. Although Tottenham stood by their manager so he could go for European glory, it is hard to see Arsenal doing the same in similar circumstances.
To win the Premier League or Champions League though, Arteta is likely to need some help from the board. To make a serious challenge in either competition next year, the Gunners will surely need to boost their attacking options. At a minimum, this should include a top-level striker and a left winger. If the club cannot source two quality names to play in these positions, this will make Arteta’s quest for trophies significantly harder.
Arteta deserves plenty of praise for the job he has done so far, turning Arsenal from a side that finished 8th in successive seasons to three-time Premier League runners-up. To push them to the next level, though, the Spaniard needs a little more investment. If this does not come, he might find himself under a little bit of pressure next season for the first time in a long while.