Mikel Arteta has revealed he expected Arsene Wenger to quit the managerial post at Arsenal when the club were down to Hull City in the FA Cup final last season, before the side came back to win the game and lift the first trophy in nine years, according to the Daily Mail.

Arsenal have had a roller coaster ride in all competitions since the breakdown of the invincible squad built by Wenger in the early 2000’s. Wenger is currently the longest serving manager in the Barclays Premier League, but the Frenchman is under immense pressure to deliver success at the club. The manager believes in the passing system he created once he arrived at North London, and that has served him well for several trophies before they dried up nearly a decade ago. The FA Cup trophy last year was an important one for both the manager and the fans, both then getting reassurances about the club’s ambitions moving ahead into further seasons.

The former Everton player believes his teammates will have to raise their game by a considerable margin if they want to think about success in competitions like the Champions League. Arsenal cannot afford to slip up any further in the following group ties, which could see them out of the competition sooner rather than later. They face Galatasaray next at the Emirates Stadium, and will have to produce a match winning display without fail.