Another weekend of Premier League action has passed and it was more disappointment for Arsenal fans.
The Gunners slipped down to eighth in the Premier League on Saturday following a dismal performance against relegation battlers Southampton at the Emirates.
Thanks to a last-gasp equaliser from Alexandre Lacazette, the north London club fortunately came away with a point against their opponents, who were joint-bottom of the table prior to the clash.
Emery is now under more pressure than ever and unless results pick up fast, the Spanish manager could be axed within days.
But who could replace Emery at Arsenal? talkSPORT.com has identified seven likely contenders for the job if it does become available…
Mikel Arteta
Before Emery was appointed, former club captain Arteta was on the verge of being handed the reins.
Since retiring from the game, the Spaniard has been learning the ropes as Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager at Manchester City, but it is believed he now feels ready for a top job in management.
Should Arsenal hire Arteta it would very much follow a trend in top Premier League clubs hiring former players – just look at Chelsea and Manchester United.
The only notable shortcoming is his lack of experience, and it could prove to be a risky appointment with Arsenal’s fanbase known to be volatile and fickle at the best of times.
Freddie Ljungberg
Assistant first-team coach Ljungberg could be offered his first ever senior role as a caretaker boss, with other club legend Steve Bould helping him in his duties.
The former Gunners winger, who spent nine years as a player at Highbury, previously worked as Arsenal’s Under-23s manager before he earned a promotion to the first-team back in June.
The Mirror report he would be given the rest of the season were he to impress – and he would be in a good position to start as he knows the club inside out already.
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Mauricio Pochettino
According to reports, members of Arsenal’s board are fans of Pochettino and he is ‘well liked’ by key figures at the club.
That is understandable given the incredible work the Argentine did with the Lilywhites.
Prior to Pochettino’s reign, Spurs qualified for the Champions League just once in 22 years. They are now participating in the elite competition for the fourth year in a row thanks to his guidance.
He’s young, has an attractive footballing philosophy and isn’t scared to give the youth a chance – fitting the criteria of what the Gunners want in a manager.
It would be a massive coup for the club if they can secure his services, but he remains a highly unlikely choice, having previously insisted he could never take charge of Tottenham’s bitter rivals.
Plus, he could soon have his pick of top jobs with Bayern Munich and Manchester United both linked with the Argentine.
Erik ten Hag
Dutch tactician Ten Hag is one of the sought-after managers in Europe thanks to his brilliant work with Ajax.
He guided the Amsterdam club to the Champions League semi-final last season, masterminding victories over Real Madrid and Juventus, and also led them to the Eredivisie title.
And despite losing his two best players, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, to Barcelona and Juventus respectively, Ajax still seem to be a formidable outfit this season under his leadership.
Arsenal could well be tempted to leap on the opportunity to go for Ten Hag if he is available, with the Mail reporting the 49-year-old has distanced himself from a move to Bayern Munich in recent days.
Eddie Howe
Brendan Rodgers is doing a magnificent job with Leicester but he is unlikely to leave his role any time soon, and if a Premier League manager was approached Bournemouth boss Howe probably would be that man.
The Englishman is the second longest-serving manager in English football and has guided Bournemouth to promotion from each division of the Football League.
The Cherries are now in their fifth season in the top flight, despite their limited resources, and they play an attractive brand of football.
The 41-year-old would undoubtedly be a risk due to his inexperience at managing at the top level but it may one worth taking.
Patrick Vieira
According to talkSPORT’s French football correspondent, Julien Laurens, former Arsenal captain Vieira is ‘ready’ for the Gunners job.
The ‘Invincibles’ hero began his managerial career at New York City FC before making the move to Ligue 1, where he guided Nice to a seventh-placed finish in his first season at the club.
The Frenchman also held brief talks with Arsenal following Arsene Wenger’s departure last year but the Gunners opted instead opted for Emery.
Vieira, a World Cup winner, has yet to prove he can cut it at the top of management but he would surely be a popular appointment with the fanbase given his extraordinary achievements with the club.
Massimiliano Allegri
According to The Times, Arsenal have also pinpointed former Juventus manager Allegri as a target to replace Emery.
The Italian left the Serie A giants at the end of last season having steered the Old Lady to five consecutive titles in his time in Turin.
He is now keen on a new challenge in England and last month it was reported the 52-year-old was having English lessons in anticipation of a move to the Premier League.
Allegri, who also won a Serie A title with AC Milan, reached two Champions League finals with Juve but finished runner-up in both.
He is yet to test himself outside of Italy but the English top flight represents an attractive prospect as he looks for his next job.
