Tottenham set to reign in north London and push Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to the brink, writes Tony Evans

Power shift? Cup exit would damage Wenger but league form is where he will live or die
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Tony Evans20 February 2017

Think the last week was a bad one for Arsene Wenger? The next nine days have the potential to get far worse.

It would be an inconceivable calamity for Arsenal to lose tonight’s FA Cup fifth-round tie away to Sutton United. But a loss to the National League side would be embarrassing rather than terminal for the Frenchman’s career at the Emirates. A much more conceivable disaster lurks around the corner.

When Arsenal kick off their next Premier League match against Liverpool at Anfield on March 4 they could be down to sixth place in the table. It is possible for Liverpool and Manchester United to leapfrog the Gunners. Even worse, Tottenham have the opportunity to open up a three-point gap over their neighbours. Spurs have never finished above Arsenal during Wenger’s time in England.

The balance of power in north London has been shifting for the past two years. The tipping point seems very close.

The 67-year-old is determined to manage next year, either at the Emirates or elsewhere. Wenger’s departure would leave a huge void at the club but it is hard to see anyone at Arsenal — least of all the Frenchman — having the appetite to continue the way things are, without Champions League participation and with Tottenham in the ascendency. Four more years of diminishing returns would suit nobody.

In the first half of the season it appeared that Wenger had rediscovered his magic touch. A 14-game unbeaten League run and a flurry of late goals convinced some observers — including this column — that there was a realistic chance of Arsenal winning the title. There should have been good reason for confidence with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in the team. It turned out that Santi Cazorla was more important than the highly rated superstars. The Spaniard’s long-term loss to an ankle injury had a significant negative effect on Arsenal but it is doubtful that the 32-year-old midfielder could have held the team together, such is the widespread lack of resilience in the squad.

The mental toughness implied by last-gasp comebacks and late game-winning goals was illusionary. The level of flakiness displayed in the 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich was breathtaking. If Arsenal show the same level of commitment and coherence tonight at Gander Green Lane there will be a real danger of an upset.

Gander Green Lane, home of Sutton United Football Club in South London

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The high water mark of Arsenal’s season was the 3-0 defeat of Chelsea in September. Since then Antonio Conte’s team have disappeared into the distance. Wenger can no longer look up the table with any ambition. His team can only look over their shoulder with real trepidation. Dropping out of the Champions League slots after 18 consecutive seasons in Europe’s most important competition is unthinkable.

What is happening locally is equally disturbing. Last season Arsenal fans celebrated Tottenham’s late season meltdown that allowed Wenger’s team to snatch second place in the Premier League on the last day of the season. It was a sign of how low expectations have fallen.

Although there were sniggers at the Emirates, Mauricio Pochettino’s side had made significant improvement. They have continued on that upward progression. Arsenal are treading water and have a little less buoyancy this season than in previous campaigns. Now it is Spurs fans chuckling, singing about wanting Wenger to stay at the Emirates during their side’s 3-0 victory over Fulham yesterday.

Spurs are far from the finished article. Their poor performance at Anfield in the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in their last Premier League game showed there are still tactical and mental issues to be addressed at White Hart Lane.

Yet with every month Tottenham’s impressive youngsters grow and develop. They rely too much on Harry Kane but they have plenty of improvement to come. Arsenal cannot depend on them to self-destruct for much longer.

Tonight Wenger needs an assertive, no-fuss performance from his team. Then he will sit tight and hope that Spurs, Liverpool and United slip up in winnable League matches. He will have nine rather nervous days to rally his men. Kicking off at Anfield in sixth place would test Arsenal’s dubious mettle.

This is a dangerous period for the Frenchman. Once, his teams were dominant in the Premier League. That time is long gone. If Spurs top the pile in Wenger’s own backyard then his days at the Emirates will certainly be numbered.

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