Arsenal backed to pull trigger on Mikel Arteta if he doesn't win Premier League

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Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney has warned that Arsenal could sack Mikel Arteta if they don't win the Premier League title this season. The Gunners had an excellent weekend, grabbing a hard-earned 1-0 victory at home against Crystal Palace and watching their expected title rivals stumble.

The result at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday was further sweetened by Liverpool's 3-1 loss at Brentford on Saturday and Manchester City's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa . Arteta's squad are now seven points ahead of Arne Slot's reigning top-flight champions and six points clear of City after nine matches.

There's a growing sense of optimism in north London that Arsenal will finally end their 21-year drought for a league title after finishing second three times in a row. Rooney, who bagged five league titles with United, has weighed in on the Gunners' situation.

He reckons Arteta won't have any excuses if they fail to secure the top-flight crown this term - suggesting that the Spaniard might lose his job if they fall short. "I think they can [win it], " he stated on the Wayne Rooney show. "They've had those experiences which have got them close, but I think they're ready to do it.

"There's no excuse. I think with the players they've brought in, there's no excuse. If they don't win it now, you will probably see a change of manager."

Gary Neville , another Old Trafford legend, went even further. The former Red Devils defender is declaring that Arsenal already have one hand on the title.

"This has got to be them, hasn't it? This has got to be their year," he said on the Gary Neville Podcast.

"This is the fourth season on the bounce that I've had them to win the league, but they're not necessarily miles better. They're repeating their levels of consistency, and that's all they're going to have to do this year to win the league. They're not going to have to go and get 100 points, they're not going to have to get even 90 or 95 points to win the league, mid-80s, high 80s will win them this title, and they can do that.

"I mentioned before about the other teams [being] inconsistent and unreliable, that's not this Arsenal team. They're very reliable. You can trust them.

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"The way in which they defend is fantastic. They're all around each other. They don't concede goals. They've got a threat up front in multiple areas.

"They've not got a sensational centre-forward, but they've got a battering ram up there as honest as a day's long, and that can work for them. They've got [Eberechi] Eze, they've got so they've got [Noni] Madueke, [Gabriel] Martinelli, [Leandro] Trossard, lots of players who can contribute goals.

"They've got [Declan] Rice who can obviously deliver in set-pieces. They've got four fantastic full-backs and three excellent centre-backs."

The Gunners are set to face Brighton and Hove Albion at home in the League Cup on Wednesday, hoping to edge closer to ending their five-year trophy drought. Following this, Arsenal will travel to Burnley for a league match on Saturday, aiming to preserve their four-point lead at the top of the table.

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