Arsenal could sack Mikel Arteta at the end of the season if he doesn’t win the Premier League title, according to reports and Wayne Rooney.

The Gunners, who beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Sunday, closed a five-point deficit on Liverpool in recent weeks to go top of the Premier League with the title now firmly in their hands.

Liverpool are on a four-match losing run in the Premier League, while Arsenalhave won their last four matches in the lead to build a seven-point lead over Arne Slot’s defending champions.

Bournemouth are currently Arsenal’s biggest challengers in the Premier League with Andoni Iraola’s side currently four points behind Arteta’s men in second position.

There has been some criticism of Arsenal for scoring most of their goals from set-pieces this season with their critics insisting that they must start scoring more from open play as it’s not sustainable.

And Manchester United legend Rooney insists that Arteta must win the Premier League title at Arsenal this season or face the sack in the summer.

READ:?Two Arsenal players in Premier League XI of the season so far

Rooney told BBC Sport:?“The squad is good enough now and I think they’ve had the experiences which have got them close, but I think they’re ready for it.

“If they don’t win it now, you’d probably see a change of manager.”

And now Spanish website Fichajesinsists that the Arsenal board is ‘doubting Mikel Arteta’s project after an investment of more than ￡1billion and no major titles since 2021.’

Patience in the the Gunners boardroom is ‘beginning to wear thin’ as they look for silverware now and the Premier League club ‘will assess whether to continue the current approach or embark on a new path’ at the end of the season.

The report adds: ‘Arsenal?‘s board?hasn’t announced an immediate decision, but the sporting and financial indicators are alarming. Arteta must show results now, or his continued contract could be called into question.’

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Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onouha insists Arsenal aren’t just all about set-pieces with Arteta’s side the best team in the Premier League.

Onouha told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It is interesting because there are some misconceptions we have and that is true with Arsenal. People call them set-piece FC and all that.

“But they are up there with teams with the most shots in the Premier League and had the fewest goals conceded, conceded the fewest chances and the fewest shots.

“They are brilliant. They sit top of the league and they deserve to be there.”

Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott added:?“Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor.” former Gunners striker Theo Walcott added on BBC Sport. “People are just afraid of them and it is great to see.

“It’s starting to now be normal that they don’t concede goals. They will have a bad patch and last year it was too many draws, but I don’t think that’s going to happen this year. There is belief in the whole club now.”