Arsenal: Rival Manager Rallies to Arsene Wenger's Defense

Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger at the Allianz Arena, Munich, February 15. Pep Guardiola has called the treatment of Arsenal manager Wenger "unacceptable." CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty

Pep Guardiola believes the treatment of under-fire Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is "unacceptable" and has shown a lack of respect.

The growing anger at Arsenal's malaise in recent years reached fever pitch over the past week, following the embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Wenger has been the subject of criticism for this, with pundits calling for a change of manager at the Emirates Stadium, which has not sat well with the Manchester City boss Guardiola.

"What I've heard in the last 10 days about how the people—former players and journalists—treated, for example, Arsene Wenger is unacceptable," he said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

"For me, our job at the moment we don't have any respect for an position. What happened was unacceptable. We take decisions and you can say whatever you want."

Wenger is the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, having taken over at Arsenal in 1996.

The 67-year-old manager has delivered three league titles for the Gunners, plus six FA Cups and six Community Shields.

But criticism of Wenger has focused on a perceived lack of ambition in recent years, with the belief that Arsenal settles for the top four in the league and qualifying for the Champions League.

Arsenal is back in FA Cup action on Monday, facing non-league Sutton United in the fifth round of the competition at Gander Green Lane.

Fellow non-league club Lincoln City awaits the winner in the quarterfinal having beaten Premier League side Burnley.

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