Arsenal legend Robert Pires believes Unai Emery is still capable of reversing the club's fortunes, though concedes they are in "big trouble" as things stand. Significant pressure has continued to mount on manager Emery throughout a torrid run of form that has seen the Gunners fail to win any of their last five Premier League matches or six previous games across all competitions.
Arsenal were very fortunate to avoid a woeful home defeat by lowly Southampton on Saturday after Alexandre Lacazette's 96th-minute equaliser salvaged a hugely unconvincing 2-2 draw at a hostile Emirates Stadium.
Along with the likes of Everton's Marco Silva, West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini and Watford chief Quique Sanchez Flores, Emery - who was named as Arsene Wenger's successor in north London in May 2018 before leading Arsenal to a fifth-place domestic finish and Europa League final in his first campaign at the helm - is among the favourites in the top-flight 'sack race'.
And 'Invincible' Pires, a two-time Premier League winner with Arsenal who spent six years at the club between 2000-06, says the Spaniard needs to find a quick fix to those mounting issues.
"Everybody knows at Arsenal, even Unai Emery, that they are in big trouble," he told Omnisport.
"But [Emery] is a competitor, he knows the high level. He was a great manager with Sevilla, with Paris Saint-Germain, but the situation is not so good. He is a good manager, I think he will make a success with Arsenal. I hope for him anyway. The situation isn’t so good, but him and the players need to find the solution."
After finishing outside the top four and losing to Chelsea in Baku last term, Arsenal are currently in their third consecutive season without Champions League football. Pires was eager to stress the importance of the Gunners regaining their seat at Europe's top table in order to keep their key stars happy.
"The target for Arsenal and for Unai is to finish in the top four because it’s very important for Arsenal to play again in the Champions League next season," he added.
"I don’t know what will happen at the end of the season, especially for Arsenal. For some players – Aubameyang, Lacazette, or even Mesut Ozil – the first thing for them and all the Arsenal players is to finish in the top four."
Arsenal will attempt to arrest their alarming slump in form in the Europa League on Thursday night as they host Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt - who will have no away fans at the Emirates -ahead of a Premier League trip to Norwich, who climbed off the bottom of the table with a 2-0 win at Everton over the weekend.
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