Pressure mounts on Arsene Wenger as Arsenal fans bay for his blood

Arsene Wenger faced a barrage of criticism from former players, supporters and the media after his team’s 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Monday night, as his 20-year reign as Arsenal manager looked increasingly shaky. The defeat, their fourth in a row away from home and Wenger’s first to Palace, left Arsenal sixth in the table and likely to miss out on Champions League qualification for the first time under the Frenchman. But it was the team’s limp performance that critics rounded on, with former Arsenal striker Ian Wright posting on Twitter that the “dressing room is lost”.

Video footage on social media showed Arsenal fans surrounding the team bus after the game and hurling abuse at Wenger and some of the players. Inside the ground, dejected Arsenal fans raised banners calling for the 67-year-old and chanted “Arsene Wenger, we want you to go”. They also targeted the players, singing “you’re not fit to wear the shirt”. Some booed Spanish full-back Hector Bellerin when he came over to applaud them after the final whistle. The 22-year-old has become a target for some supporters, who earlier in the game refused to return the ball to him after it went out of play.

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