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Piers Morgan believes Arsenal should part ways with Mikel Arteta and hire Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira as the Spaniard's replacement. The Gunners suffered a 1-0 defeat to Southampton at the St. Mary's Stadium on Saturday. Their loss to the Saints was their third consecutive defeat in the Premier League and their fourth loss in their last five league games.
Arsenal's latest result has left them in sixth place in the league table, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand over Antonio Conte's side. Mikel Arteta's side were heavily tipped to finish in the top four ahead of Manchester United and Tottenham thanks to their impressive form during the month of February and the first half of March.
Their recent dip in form has, however, dented their hopes and chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Piers Morgan blamed Mikel Arteta for the north London club's poor performances and believes they should replace him with Gunners legend Patrick Vieira.
"'Trust the process!' No thanks. #ArtetaOUT #VieiraIN," said Morgan on Twitter.
Vieira has enjoyed an incredible debut season as manager of Crystal Palace. He led the Eagles to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and climbed up to thirteenth place in the Premier League table.
The former Gunners captain has also helped develop a number of promising young talents, including the likes of Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Michael Olise, and Demetri Mitchell.
He also spent nine seasons as a player in north London, during which he made over 400 appearances for the Gunners and helped them win three Premier League titles and three FA Cups. The Frenchman could therefore be a good replacement for Arteta at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are likely to back Mikel Arteta even if they miss out on next season's Champions League
Arsenal are enduring a wretched run of form as they approach the final seven games of the Premier League season. The Gunners also have a difficult run of fixtures, which will see them face Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham, and Tottenham Hotspur before the end of the season. The Gunners could therefore miss out on a place in the top four and next season's Champions
The Gunners are likely to stick with Mikel Arteta even if they fail to finish in the top four due to the improvement the club have shown under the Spaniard.
He has managed to develop and get the best out of a number of young talents and is seemingly in the process of building a squad for the future. Arsenal, however, lack strength in depth and quality in a number of key positions such as defensive midfield and attack.
The north London club are therefore likely to back Arteta financially this summer to bolster the squad and help him continue the progress he has made at the Emirates Stadium.
