Wenger Out At 80/1?

Rewind 12 months and there were concerns about the state of Chelsea heading into the new campaign as the then champions just didn’t look up to speed. Sure enough they began horrifically and before too long Jose Mourinho was looking for new employment.

This time around could it be Arsenal who will stumble out of the blocks? If so Arsene Wenger will quickly look astounding value to be the first Premier League manager to leave his post at best odds of 80/1 with Williamhill.

Consider first that Gunners fans saw 2015-16 as a frustratingly missed opportunity and that many already regard the Frenchman as being on borrowed time. That frustration has only intensified with the failure to land a top level striker so far this summer. Vardy chose to stay at Leicester and there remains an over-reliance on Giroud.

But delve a little deeper and there’s a very real chance we will see a jaded Arsenal re-appear in late summer. Those who have had enduring international commitments and not much of a break include key men: Sanchez, Koscielny, Ramsey, Ozil and Giroud.

Add to that list those who had significant injury problems last term and may still lack sharpness as a consequence: Cazorla, Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Regular saviour at the back end of last season, Welbeck , is out till 2017, while Mertersacker also remains sidelined.

That’s potentially an awful lot of shoes to fill for £35m signing Granit Xhaka.

One thing Wenger can ill afford is a bad start and a significant points gap between the Gunners and the pace-setters before we’ve even reached autumn. And yet the early fixture list lacks those ‘banker’ home games where three points can probably be picked up fairly routinely.

Instead, the first three league fixtures at the Emirates see Liverpool, Southampton and Chelsea coming to town. Not easy. The first away trip is to champions Leicester before visiting a Watford side who dumped Arsenal out of the cup in March.

The pressure could be on quickly, and bear in mind that the media will focus their glare on Wenger as the only big club boss liable to face the axe any time soon. Mourinho, Guardiola and Conte are new; Klopp and Pochettino look very secure.

It could all add up to an imperfect storm for the 66-year-old who is in the final year of his contract. Let’s not rule out that he could jump before he is pushed and at huge odds we have plenty of reasons to take a punt.