Arsenal fans´ group votes overwhelmingly for Wenger to go

An overwhelming majority of voters in an Arsenal Supporters’ Trust poll have called for long-serving manager Arsene Wenger to leave the club at the end of the season.

Following a run of four consecutive defeats across three competitions for the Gunners, 88 per cent of AST members at a meeting on Monday called for Wenger’s tenure to end when his position is reviewed after the current campaign.

Seven per cent of members voted for Wenger to stay, with five per cent undecided.

Uncertainty over Wenger’s future dominated the second half of last season but the 68-year-old Frenchman, who became Arsenal boss back in 1996, penned a two-year contract extension on the back of the superb 2-1 FA Cup final win over Premier League champions Chelsea.

However, Arsenal’s progress has been familiarly stunted this time around, with the January arrivals of club-record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – the latter in a swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez join Manchester United – doing nothing to prevent dwindling form.

In a survey conducted online & at tonight’s meeting 88% of AST members vote for Arsenal ending Arsene Wenger’s contract when position reviewed this summer (7% for staying on & 5% don’t know yet). Written comments will be given to Gazidis on Saturday

— AST (@AST_arsenal) March 5, 2018

Wenger’s side lie sixth in the Premier League after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion, 13 points shy of fourth-placed Tottenham, with nine games remaining this season.

They progressed to the last 16 of the Europa League, where AC Milan lie in wait this week, despite a 2-1 second-leg loss to Swedish minnows Ostersunds.

Manchester City followed up a 3-0 EFL Cup final victory over Arsenal at Wembley nine days ago with an emphatic Premier League triumph by the same scoreline at Emirates Stadium last Thursday.