Ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has suggested that Mikel Arteta is running out of time to prove he is capable of winning major trophies.
Since returning to Arsenal as their head coach in December 2019, Arteta has won three trophies. He helped his outfit lift the FA Cup trophy in 2020 and two FA Community Shield trophies in 2021 and 2024, missing out on the last three Premier League titles.
During a chat with talkSPORT, Lehmann was asked to provide his honest thoughts on Arteta’s managerial stint at the Emirates Stadium outfit. He said (h/t Metro):
“I think he started with a bad start, but you have to give a lot of credit to him. He pulled himself out, he changed the team and now he has made them very stable, and stable at the top, which is fantastic for the current owner, because he generates the money. And on top if it, if they don’t win, he doesn’t need to pay him extra bonuses!”
Claiming Arteta has to stop being risk-averse, the German remarked:
“But obviously, he has to win next year. This year, they could have won [the Premier League], Manchester City dropped a little bit, Liverpool replaced them. Next year, he has to win. But he probably needs to change his personality a little bit to win things.”
Lehmann, who lifted three trophies as a Gunners player, concluded:
“Because sometimes, it’s [about] control and being cautious. But if you want to win some things, in my opinion you could be a little more risky. But that’s next year… next week is super important. I cross my fingers that they will score two goals and will not concede one [in their UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Paris Saint-Germain].”
How have Arsenal fared this campaign?
Arsenal, who finished second in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, lost the 2024-25 Premier League title to Liverpool last weekend. They are on 67 points from 34 league games, 15 points behind Arne Slot’s side.
The Gunners lost 1-0 at home to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg earlier on Tuesday. They will face PSG for the second leg at Emirates Stadium on May 7.
Arsenal have registered 30 wins and just eight losses in 53 outings in all competitions in the ongoing 2024-25 season. They have lost only thrice in the Premier League this term, but have recorded 13 stalemates.
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Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee
