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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