Stunning Comeback Eases Pressure On Arsene Wenger

Arsenal produced the comeback of the season on Sunday to cool the pressure on under-fire manager Arsene Wenger. The Gunners stormed back from two goals down to thrash north London rivals Tottenham 5-2 at the Emirates as they claimed back fourth place in the Premier League. It was all doom and gloom after 34 minutes as a deflected Louis Saha effort and a penalty from former player Emmanuel Adebayor had given Spurs a seemingly commanding lead. However, Arsenal grabbed two quick-fire goals before half-time, before netting a further three in the second-half to complete a remarkable comeback. As a result Wenger’s odds have drifted slightly to 10/1 in the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked Betting.

Arsenal’s crushing Champions League defeat to AC Milan and FA Cup disappointment against Sunderland meant the heat was firmly on Wenger heading into Sunday’s derby match. With Arsenal two goals down after 34 minutes you could already picture the scathing Monday morning headlines. However, the dramatic comeback saw a clearly jubilant Wenger set his sights on a third place finish as his side moved to within seven points of rivals Spurs. Arsenal supporters will be left wondering why their team are unable to show the same fighting spirit, passion and determination on a more regular basis and will now be looking for their players to perform out of their skin for the remaining 12 league fixtures.

The win will act as huge confidence booster for Arsenal as they continue in their fight to claim the final Champions League qualifying spot. In all likeliness they will be knocked-out of the competition next week, following their 4-0 first-leg defeat away to AC Milan, but they will at least attempt to bow out with their pride intact. Their sole focus will therefore be the league and they now face crunch back-to-back games against fellow top four challengers Liverpool and Newcastle (with their second-leg against AC Milan sandwiched inbetween). Paddy Power now have Arsenal available at 5/4 to finish in the top four.

Arsenal travel to Liverpool to face the new Carling Cup champions on Saturday, which is live on Sky Sports 2 at 12.45pm. The Reds have been installed as the 10/11 favourites for the win, while Arsenal have been priced at 11/4, with a draw available at 9/4.