LONDON // Arsene Wenger will hope an unexpected slip from Liverpool or Manchester City helps silence a growing army of critics as Arsenal try to salvage their traumatic Premier League campaign by snatching a Uefa Champions League berth in Sunday’s season finale.
Rocked by Arsenal’s failure to live up to his expectations, and with a succession of former players questioning his methods, Wenger has been under fire like never before in his 21-year reign. The lowest moment of all is likely to come at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
As if finishing below arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the first time in 22 years was not bad enough, Wenger’s bid to lead Arsenal into the Champions League for a 20th successive season is in grave danger heading into their last league game against Everton.
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To make matters worse, his former captain Tony Adams said Wenger "couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag" in an extract from his autobiography Sober, serialised in The Sun newspaper.
Wenger, however, brushed off the criticism from former defender Adams, whose coaching tenure at Granada has ended in relegation from the Primeraa Liga in Spain.
With the title race settled in Chelsea’s favour, Tottenham guaranteed to finish second and the three relegation places filled by Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hull City, attention will focus Sunday on the battle for the lucrative remaining two places in Europe’s elite club competition.
Despite winning six of their last seven games, Arsenal are in fifth place, one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool and three adrift of third-placed City.
If Liverpool beat relegated Middlesbrough at Anfield and City avoid defeat at struggling Watford, then, even if Arsenal win, Wenger’s side will be consigned to the indignity of Thursday nights in the unglamorous Europa League next term.
Having refused to confirm if he will accept Arsenal’s offer of a new contract, the 67-year-old Frenchman said this week his future will be settled when he meets the club’s power brokers after Arsenal’s FA Cup final date with Chelsea on May 27.
* Agence France-Presse
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