Wenger gambled by refusing to bow to Sanchez's demand for a move to Manchester City before the transfer window closed last week.
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| Arsenal's
lacklustre defeats against Stoke and Liverpool have sparked renewed
calls for Arsene Wenger's resignation from his army of detractors (AFP/File) Under fire from furious fans and unable to placate his unsettled stars, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger finds himself assailed by familiar problems just weeks into the new season as he battles to salvage his tarnished reputation.
Just four months ago, the Frenchman was celebrating an FA Cup final triumph against Chelsea that the 67-year-old hoped would herald a new era of sustained success.
But
after a miserable start to the Premier League campaign, Wenger once
again appears trapped in a debilitating cycle of on-field
underachievement and behind-the-scenes unrest.
Lacklustre defeats against Stoke and Liverpool,
with the 4-0 humiliation at Anfield especially painful, have sparked
renewed calls for Wenger's resignation from his army of detractors.
Making
matters worse, the Arsenal boss -- hailed for revolutionising the
English game in areas such as diet and fitness after he joined the club
in 1996 -- is locked in damaging contract stand-offs with Chile forward Alexis Sanchez and playmaker Mesut Ozil.
 (AFP/File)
Wenger gambled by refusing to bow to Sanchez's demand for a move to Manchester City before the transfer window closed last week.
Sanchez's
refusal to sign a new contract, with his current deal due to expire at
the end of the season, makes it difficult for the Frenchman to expect
full commitment from his most influential player.
Ozil
is also in the last year of his Arsenal contract and the German's
patchy performances over the past two years suggest Wenger should not
rely on him for help when the flack is flying.
England internationals Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs were
sold before the deadline because they showed little interest in signing
new deals, while Wenger failed with a bid for Monaco prodigy Thomas
Lemar, leaving him with depleted options as he tries to reverse
Arsenal's decline.
Watching Wenger
ashen-faced on the touchline during Arsenal's capitulation at Liverpool,
it was hard to believe only weeks earlier he was talking boldly of
pushing to win the English title for the first time since 2004.
Wenger
believed last season's success at Wembley and his subsequent decision
to sign a two-year contract extension, after briefly contemplating
ending his 21-year reign, had put him back in a position of strength.
Infuriated
Spending a club-record £52 million ($68 million, 57 million euros) on Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette indicated Wenger was intent on maximising his opportunity.
Yet he did not have to wait long for that optimism to dissipate.
Infuriated
by Arsenal's failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first
time in two decades, many Gunners' supporters had staged protests
calling for Wenger to quit last season and the detractors remained
steadfast in their belief he should go.
It took less than 90 minutes of Arsenal's first match on home turf this season for that to become abundantly clear.
A
forgettable pre-season friendly against Benfica at the Emirates Stadium
suddenly turned ugly when an irate fan sprinted onto the pitch and made
a beeline for Wenger before being tackled by stewards.
The
supporter appeared to launch a tirade at the Frenchman as he was
escorted away, the uncomfortable flashpoint foreshadowing the renewed
misery looming around the corner for the Arsenal boss.
Those
who admire Wenger for his purist principles and recall the three
Premier League titles of his early Arsenal teams, when he went
toe-to-toe with Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, have clung to the belief he could still conjure up that old magic.
But the losses to Stoke and Liverpool laid bare the fatal flaws Wenger has stubbornly refused to fix.
His
error-prone defence lacks leadership, the midfield is short of drive
and desire and Wenger's forwards too often fail to turn their team's
possession into goals.
Even Wenger's
former players are losing faith, with former Gunners midfielder Emmanuel
Petit saying: "I really thought they would have a big transfer window.
"But
since the start of July, every day I look at the newspapers, and
nothing has happened. He is no longer the man for the job."
Ex-striker Ian Wright added: "Watching
him now is like watching Muhammad Ali fight Larry Holmes. You're
watching Ali, one of the greatest ever, getting beat up."
"It was horrible, it was uncomfortable, you don't want to see that."
Starting this weekend against Bournemouth, the clock will be ticking on Wenger's bid to avoid the knockout blow.
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