Mikel Arteta sack talk ‘very disrespectful’ but another Premier League title failure would leave ‘a lot of things to answer’ at Arsenal

The tension at Arsenal has reached a boiling point following a shaky run of form that has seen their grip on the Premier League top spot loosen. A recent 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth has invited critics to question whether Arteta is the right man to lead the club across the finish line, especially after finishing as runners-up for three consecutive seasons.

However, Winterburn has leaped to the defence of the manager, labelling the discourse surrounding Arteta’s future as inappropriate. Speaking via HFM X Arsenal, the 62-year-old made his feelings clear: "To me, it's not even something that I really even want to entertain because I think that's very disrespectful to Arteta. I think it's also disrespectful to the club to be talking about a manager that could present something to Arsenal that they haven't had for a long time."

While Winterburn is backing the current boss, he admits that another collapse would necessitate a deep dive into the club's shortcomings. If Arsenal squander their fourth consecutive title challenge, the hierarchy will likely face difficult decisions regarding the direction of the project and the personnel involved. "I think most clubs will have a review at the end of the season," Winterburn added. "Depending on if Arsenal win anything, what they do, they’ll then look internally too, like always, not only at staff, but they'll also look at players and where they can improve again.

"So I could say if Arsenal go and win at the weekend, most people say the title is virtually theirs. So it's very interesting from three weeks ago how people were thinking to how they're thinking now. Any talk about Arteta, I think, is so disrespectful at this stage of the season. Get to the end of the season. If it doesn't happen, then I agree, I think there will be a lot of things to answer as to why it went wrong. But we don't know if that's going to happen. That's something I refuse to discuss at the moment."

Winterburn knows a thing or two about high-stakes title races, having been part of the famous 1989 side that won the league at Anfield in dramatic fashion. He sees parallels between the current nerves surrounding the Emirates and the doubts his team faced before Michael Thomas’s legendary last-minute goal secured the trophy.

"This season reminds me a little bit of 1989 when we won the league," he noted. "In the two games before winning the title, we lost to Derby at home and then drew with Wimbledon. Nobody told us we'd go to Liverpool at Anfield and win by two goals. Most people told us it was impossible. Imagine what social media would have been like if it was around back then."

The immediate focus for Arteta and his squad is a massive clash against Manchester City. A defeat would be devastating, potentially allowing Pep Guardiola’s side to overtake the Gunners on goal difference, as City currently have one game in hand. For Winterburn, the task for the players is simple: ignore the external noise and focus on the 90 minutes ahead.

"So I've been in a similar situation," the former left-back concluded. "That was my first winning trophy at Arsenal as well. I fully understand what's going on, and you've just got to focus on what's ahead of you. Players and manager, they won't be looking at anything else. A big performance on Sunday will push them a long, long way to being able to claim the Premier League title, which has eluded us for a long time."