Arsenal send ‘ultimatum’ to Arteta as board has ‘had enough’; Gyokeres ‘not good enough’ – report | OneFootball

According to reports, Arsenal’s board have ‘had enough’ and have sent a ‘firm ultimatum’ to head coach Mikel Arteta regarding the Premier League title.

Arteta is under pressure to achieve big things this season as no excuses are remaining for the Arsenal boss as he looks to end his side’s trophy drought.

Under Arteta, the Gunners have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons as he has fallen short to Manchester City and Liverpool, while his team were heavily impacted by injuries last term.

However, Arsenal have emerged as the heavy favourites to win the Premier League title this season as Man City and Liverpool have declined, while the north London outfit arguably have the best squad in England and Europe.

In the summer, Arsenal spent a further £250m to land most of their main targets, with this business ensuring they have quality options in every position and are better equipped to cope with injuries.

These factors have contributed to Arsenal spending most of this season at the top of the Premier League table, though they have shown signs of nerves in recent matches.

After drawing against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Arsenal’s 13-game unbeaten run in the Premier League ended last weekend as they were deservedly beaten 3-2 by Manchester United. This was also their first home loss of the 2025/26 campaign.

Heading into this weekend’s match against Leeds United, Arsenal are only four points clear of Man City and Aston Villa at the top of the Premier League table.

And a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes claims Arsenal’s board has ‘had enough’ and have sent a ‘firm ultimatum’ to Arteta, with it claimed that he must win the Premier League title this season.

The report explains: ‘Patience in the offices at the Emirates Stadium has finally run out after the recent setback against Manchester United. The Arsenal hierarchy has sent a firm message to Mikel Arteta: the project will only continue if they win the league title.

‘Despite still holding the top spot, the board is unforgiving of their lack of decisiveness in the crucial moments of the season. Mikel Arteta knows that this time, simply competing respectably until the final matches, as has been the case in recent years, won’t be enough.’

Not all of Arsenal’s recent signings have been successful, with this particularly the case with Viktor Gyokeres.

Former Liverpool and Man City midfielder Dietmar Hamann has explained why he thinks Gyokeres is “not good enough” and cannot take his side to the title.

“I always said Arsenal needed a centre-forward,” Hamann told CasinoBeats.

“Somebody who knows, when you go down to the last 10 minutes, you can mix it up, you put somebody put top, you’ve got an aerial threat, and you occupy defenders because with a bit of a physical presence you will create space for the wingers like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

“If you give those wingers a bit of space, they’re almost unstoppable. I still feel Arsenal need somebody.

“I feel at the moment, even though Viktor Gyokeres didn’t start at the weekend, I don’t think he’s one of the top strikers in Europe.

“I think he’s a goal scorer but then again I don’t think a goal scorer against the best teams is enough because I don’t think he will get into positions where he can score.

“They brought Gyokeres in as the centre-forward but I don’t think he’s good enough. Whether that will be the deciding factor in the end I don’t know but at the moment, it certainly didn’t help Arsenal.

“We saw Gyokeres at a few clubs before Sporting and I’m just not sure whether he’s got the ability to play against the best defenders in Europe and in the Premier League.

“It takes something more to even get into positions where you can finish against players like this, and obviously you have to finish chances too. It’s a very physical game and sometimes it can wear you out.

“If you do get a chance after 70 or 75 minutes, maybe you lack that bit of energy and concentration and you miss it.

“In Portugal he didn’t have to do too much work going backwards and maybe that could have saved him. Not every challenge was a full-on challenge.

“Sometimes we have to give players a bit of time because it’s a difficult game but I’m not sure he’s got what it takes to lead the line for a club like Arsenal and take them to the title in all honesty.”