Mikel Arteta faces Arsenal sack question should Champions League qualification failure occur

Football is a game of fine margins. Win, lose or draw. Keep or sell. Renewal or sacking. Yet, most of all, the difference often comes down to success for a team or failure.

The definitions for these two outcomes are very different for every club. The expectations on a team vary, despite the ultimate goal being to finish as high as possible. Speak to a Manchester City fan and ask what they constitute as success and it will differ from a chat with a Burnley supporter. Context is key and for an Arsenal fan, sometimes it can be very difficult to define.

The Arsenal problem with success and failure lies in the expectations of the fan base varying so different from one to another. The club is considered one of the biggest in the world thanks to the work of so many great custodians, managers and players who won title after title to establish Arsenal as an English giant.

However, the last league title was back in 2004 after a season without a single defeat. The expectation has always been for Arsenal to return to that level but with the competition in the modern era so much bigger with financial weight so integral it has become a difficult task.

Presently, Arsenal appear to be on the right path after years of regression that began at the end of Arsene Wenger’s reign, throughout Unai Emery’s short tenure and at the start of Mikel Arteta’s too. A top-four race is a welcome sight not seen since the 2018-19 season when Emery missed out foolishly by a single point. A repeat of the 2016/17 season, the year the Gunners finally fell out of their established top-four position.

Arsenal this season were a surprise to be in the hunt for fourth though. Despite spending more than any other side in the summer, the previous season’s