EXCLUSIVE
Arsenal have been told to keep their faith in Mikel Arteta after one fan suggested he should be sacked.
That is the belief of ex-Chelsea defender and talkSPORT presenter Jason Cundy, who has lauded the Gunners boss for making 'huge strides'.
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Arteta has turned Arsenal from being the whipping boys into title contenders, but a disastrous week has seen them knocked off top spot in the Premier League, before crashing out of Europe.
The north Londoners lost 1-0 away at Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, with their Champions League run coming to an end in the quarter-finals.
And it was all too much to take for one disgruntled Gooner, as Jason phoned up the Sports Bar to say: "We lost the game at home. No German fans in the ground at all, it was all Arsenal.
"It was all ours to take and do a number on them, couldn't do it. And Mikel Arteta, Aston Villa on the weekend, he got schooled by [Unai] Emery.
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"He got schooled as a manager by Emery, do you agree or not?"
After Cundy and Jamie O'Hara agreed that he did, the supporter then stated: "Right, well he needs to go then, doesn't he?"
It was at that point where O'Hara simply buried his head into his hand in disbelief, as Jason continued: "I told you, big club, small manager.
"Tell me the club Mikel Arteta managed before he came to Arsenal and what he won? That's what I'll ask you."
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Cundy was quick to defend Arteta, as he remarked: "I'm amazed that that's your first thought, because there is no doubt about it, where Arsenal were, when Arteta turned up, to where you are now, you've made huge strides.
"Now I'm not saying you need to keep him just in this job for making strides, at some stage, there's got to be something to show for it.
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"But there is no way on this earth that I would think anything about removing Arteta right now, there's no way I'd go anywhere near that."
O'Hara responded by claiming Arteta is a 'nearly man', prompting the talkSPORT caller to state they will be having the same conversation about the Spaniard next season and 'needs to go'.
After Arteta was then told 'he hasn't got the minerals', Cundy said: "I think what this shows us, when you are bringing on players like [Eddie] Nketiah and [Gabriel] Jesus, I don't think Arsenal are that far away from another challenge next year.
"I know everyone is going to get stronger, but you've got to put in another striker there. I still think that there's room for improvement in this team.
"But you need someone off the bench or a starter, you've got Kai Havertz up there, he is not a No9."
Arsenal fan Jason then declared that Arteta 'hasn't got what it takes', leading Cundy to say: "I don't think that's where you should be thinking right now.
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"I think you should go again and give Arteta a No9, any Chelsea fan will tell you, he will do a job up there, Kai Havertz, for you. He will.
"But when it comes to things like this, this is where you need someone to step up."