"Simply not good enough" – Pundit sends strong Mikel Arteta warning to Arsenal after Bournemouth loss

Ex-Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has asserted that Mikel Arteta should come under pressure if Arsenal fail to defeat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Wednesday (May 7).

The Gunners, who were keen to win their first Premier League title in over two decades this term, have struggled to shine of late. They lost the title to Liverpool last Sunday, lost 1-0 to PSG in their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg, and lost 2-1 to Bournemouth earlier this Saturday.

In his Caught Offside column, Collymore insisted Arsenal could still beat PSG next week to advance to the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League final. The 54-year-old Englishman wrote:

“Arsenal have every chance of overturning the aggregate score against PSG, but it will very tough. The Parc des Princes is a tricky stadium to go to, and their fans will make it a tough atmosphere to play in. The important thing is that Mikel Arteta gets the gameplan right, and for me, they need to recover that early-season defensive nous combined with being able to hit on the counter-attack.”

Collymore, who netted 35 goals in 81 total outings for Liverpool, added:

“But I think if Arsenal were to be knocked out, questions needs to start being asked of Arteta. When does a manager that has won only one FA Cup in six years start to come under pressure for his inability to win competitions.”

The former Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa attacker concluded:

“He can get a pass if they were to reach the Champions League final and lose to Barcelona or Inter Milan as it shows progress, but if they were to lose to PSG, and especially in a meek fashion, then there should be scrutiny. Transition period or not, one trophy in six years is simply not good enough for a club as ambitious as Arsenal.”

Arsenal lose back-to-back home matches

Earlier on Saturday, the Gunners crashed to a 2-1 Premier League defeat against Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium. Declan Rice scored a goal in the 34th minute before Dean Huijsen and Evanilson bagged a goal each for the visitors in the second half of the clash.

Mikel Arteta’s outfit relished 50% possession, registered 13 shots, created four big chances, and took two corners against Andoni Iraola’s team.

The north London outfit are currently on a three-game winless run. They lost 1-0 to PSG at home after a 2-2 league draw against Crystal Palace.