Mikel Arteta sits "in an ejection seat" at Arsenal after their dismal start to the new Premier League season, according to club legend Robert Pires.
The Gunners, typically considered a cornerstone of English football's "big six", lie in 15th heading into their Boxing Day clash with Chelsea, after a wretched campaign to date.
The North London outfit have lost eight of their 14 opening games, and while they posted a perfect record in their Europa League group stage performance, their manager occupies an increasingly untenable position.
Editors' Picks
Pires, a Highbury hero who was a member of Arsene Wenger's Invincibles squad over a decade-and-a-half ago, admits that he finds it tough to believe just how they have slipped so badly.