Mikel Arteta is having to contend with a ‘toxic dressing room’ at Arsenal as they struggle to find form, according to reports.
The 2-1 defeat at Everton was their fifth loss in a seven-match winless run and has resulted in their worst points return – 14 from 14 matches – since 1974-75.
They have lost eight times in total and only bottom side Sheffield United have a worse record and it has put Arteta, who marks his one-year anniversary at the club on Sunday, under pressure.
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Arsenal registered just three shots on target in the whole game against the Toffees and their form up front was not helped by the absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who was missing with a calf problem.
Since Arteta took charge Arsenal have failed to win any of their previous 10 league games when trailing at half-time and although they began the second half more positively they created little more at Goodison Park.
And now the Daily Mirror claims that the pressure on Arteta to turn around results has been made more difficult by his ‘toxic dressing room’.
The newspaper describe it as a ‘deepening Arsenal crisis’ but claim that the Gunners hierarchy are ‘determined to stick with’ Arteta.
The report adds that ‘there are factions within the squad which is making it difficult for Arteta to manage’ with some players ‘unhappy at not playing with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Sokratis, who are big characters and personalities but were not even included in the Premier League and Europa League squads’.
‘The dynamic within the dressing room’ is causing the biggest issue for Arteta despite the ‘glaring gaps in the squad’.