It hasn’t been the best of starts to the new year for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, the players or the fans.
Despite starting January with an entertaining 2-2 home draw with Chelsea at the Emirates, the Gunners were humbled in the FA Cup by Championship side Nottingham Forest. Today they woke up to see pictures of one of the club’s stars splashed on the front page of The Sun.
It wasn’t good news, either. With its front-page headline of “Rave up for the cup”, the Sun reports that midfielder Alex Iwobi was pictured and caught on video partying until 3am on Saturday. This happened just “hours” before the dismal 4-2 loss against Forest on Sunday.
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The 21-year-old, who played 90 minutes against Forest, was allegedly seen “screaming and dancing” at 2.37am on Saturday morning. The paper says the party continued for “at least another hour”.
When asked about the claims made against Iwobi, Wenger told the media that the midfielder would be fined if the allegations were true and he had broken the club’s 48-hour curfew before a match. The fine could be as high as £60,000, the Evening Standard reports.
“Yes, if that is true, he will be fined,” the Arsenal boss told the Daily Mirror. “It is impossible to go out 48 hours before a game. It’s unacceptable. I will have to of course see him to see if that is right or not.
“It was not the night before the game. The night before the game we were in a hotel. But it is not acceptable and I will have to speak to him about that.”
As well as the holders’ FA Cup loss being on the back pages and Iwobi on the Sun’s front page, the inside back column inches have this week been filled with stories about players who could leave the Emirates.
Out-of-contract star Alexis Sanchez is repeatedly linked with a move to Manchester City and according to Metro the Chilean has agreed terms with Pep Guardiola’s side. Even though he could leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, various media outlets report that Sanchez may well join City during the January transfer window.
The futures of two other out-of-contract stars – Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere – also remain unclear. Wenger admits that there is no update on contract talks with the midfield duo.
With contract sagas, cup defeats and player antics making the headlines, the patience of Arsenal fans’ is wearing thin with Wenger and a number of the Gunners stars.
Sixth in the league, out of the title race months ago and now out of the FA Cup, the best hope of a trophy for the Gunners this season is the Europa League or Carabao Cup.
Arsenal face Chelsea tomorrow in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg, but even with the possibility of that silverware, many supporters are calling for a clear-out at the Emirates.
Already rumoured to be near the Emirates exit are midfielders Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny, with West Ham reportedly interested in the pair. While Theo Walcott, the club’s longest-serving player, could return to Southampton.
The main gripe though for many Gunners supporters – and the majority of those on the entertaining @ArsenalFanTV Twitter feed – is the future of the Arsenal manager.
Even members of the media are agreeing that his time may soon come to end. Jeremy Wilson in the Daily Telegraph says that Wenger’s situation at Arsenal “now looks as grim as it ever has”.
Wilson writes: “Few expect him to go before the end of a contract that expires next June but he must also know that a second successive season out of the Champions League would create a far stronger argument for his departure than last season.”
For Wenger to continue in the Arsenal hot-seat it’s going to take a lot to get the fans back onside. A trophy or two could possibly do it, but it will be major signings that prove key.
If Sanchez leaves – and possibly Ozil and/or Wilshere – who will be brought in to replace them?
Monaco’s Thomas Lemar is one name, but he’s also linked with Liverpool. Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez is another, but Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly interested. Wenger even admits that West Brom defender Jonny Evans could be out of Arsenal’s reach if Man City enter the bidding phase.
With 22 days left in the January transfer window and two legs to play in the league cup against London rivals Chelsea, Wenger has his work cut out for the next few weeks.
However, the loss of Sanchez, no star signings and another cup exit could mean that the rest of January is as bleak as the start.
Should that happen it could be a long remainder of the season for the Arsenal faithful. Expect more unrest at the Emirates.
