ARSENAL need to produce a run-in worthy of champions just to MATCH Arsene Wenger’s WORST season in charge.
In fact, the Gunners have to win nine and draw two out of their last 13 games and can only afford one more defeat.
That scenario of results would just tie them level with the legendary Frenchman’s least productive campaign in charge during his epic 22-year tenure.
The Gunners were unable to bounce back from Raheem Sterling’s early goal yesterday as they slipped to a 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City.
That left Mikel Arteta’s men sitting on 34 points after 25 matches in the top-flight.
It was their 11th loss and leaves the North London side in a lowly tenth position.
Any hopes of Champions League qualification remain firmly on winning the Europa League as a top four finish looks way out of the question.
But if you thought it would take a miracle for Arsenal to secure that, they need one as equally impressive just to match Wenger’s worst-ever Premier League finish.
That occurred during the veteran’s final year in charge, where the Gunners finished a lowly sixth.
That season they won 19 and drew 13 out of their 38 top-flight games, recording a points haul of 63.
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Last season’s tally of 56 and an eighth-place finish was the club’s worst since 1994/95 under George Graham when they picked up just 51 and finished 12th.
And they still need to register at least 17 more points to equal that.
But it is going to be no easy task for Arteta – who was given the benefit of the doubt last year after only replacing Unai Emery half way through the campaign.
An FA Cup win helped gloss over their poor Prem form – but fans are unlikely to remain patient if they cannot at least match that tally.
However, despite getting the all-dominant City out of the way, some crunch clashes still lay ahead for the Gunners.
In fact, they have to take on high-flying Leicester City, relegation battlers Burnley and North London rivals Tottenham in their next three games.
And it fails to get easier after that with top four chasing West Ham and champions Liverpool next up.
Arsenal also face another capital derby in their run-in with a trip to in-form Chelsea still to come.
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