Arsenal’s FA Cup triumph over Chelsea on Saturday set the Gunners up superbly for a crucial week in North London, where a board meeting tomorrow is set to decide once and for all whether Arsene Wenger stays with the club or brings an end to his 21 years in charge.

Wenger has been widely criticised this season, following a campaign where the Gunners were once again knocked out at the Round of 16 stage in the Champions League and finished fifth in the Premier League, with many believing it’s time for change.

Amidst all the uncertainty Arsenal have struggled to find consistency on the field, although they enjoyed a fine end to their season following a switch to a three-man defence as the Gunners won nine of ten matches across all competitions- including victories over both Manchester sides and Chelsea.

Those results show that Wenger is willing to adapt and the squad is capable of going toe-to-toe with the best and it’s definitely too late for Arsenal to change thing this summer, as they’re already playing catch-up to their rivals.

Manchester City have already moved early in the transfer market to bring in Bernardo Silva from Monaco and seem to be edging closer to further big arrivals, whilst Manchester United and Chelsea are also set to spend heavily in the close-season.

Liverpool and Tottenham, who of course finished ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League standings, are also set for a busy summer and if the Gunners were to decide to go down a new path without Wenger then they’d fall further behind.

Arsenal would need to wait to find a replacement, which could take months, and that would leave their transfer strategy on hold as they wait for a new direction- which could mean top-targets end up being missed as they may seal moves elsewhere.

Closer to home, star players like Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil may decide it’s time for a new challenge if Wenger leaves the Emirates Stadium and it would lead the Frenchman’s predecessor to have a major rebuild on their hands.

The only way for Arsenal to ensure a smooth transition is to prepare for Wenger’s departure in advance, making it clear to the players and the fans when exactly he will leave, and shape things up with a successor lined-up.

That way, everyone will know the direction that Arsenal are heading in and it’s clear the Gunners haven’t set this up for the upcoming summer- so ousting Wenger from his position would certainly cause more harm than good.