Former Arsenal winger Perry Groves has claimed that under-fire manager Mikel Arteta has just three games left to save his Gunners job.

The Spaniard has overseen Arsenal's worst start to a top-flight campaign for 46 years, with the Gunners only four points clear of the relegation zone after 14 matches.

Arteta has been publicly backed by Gunners chiefs amid their woeful start to the campaign, but Groves - who won two First Division titles with Arsenal - believes that the 38-year-old's tenure at the helm could be short-lived if Arsenal fail to perform in their next three matches.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Groves said: "If these lacklustre performances continue over the next three games, are Arsenal fans telling me they'd stick with Arteta? I think he's got three games – we play Man City [in the EFL Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night], Chelsea on Boxing Day and then Brighton away.

"I've always said a manager should have three transfer windows to get the players in and get the players out, and one full season – that's when you judge him. But if things are that dire, that bad, you can't go a full season.

"I hope he turns it around; I'm a Gooner so I want him to turn it around, I don't want to keep sacking managers over and over. But if he doesn't get better performances... Southampton played us off the park, we didn't get anywhere near them, and that's them coming to the Emirates!

"Arteta has lost his clear thought process and the players aren't closing down and they're not tracking back. This is the same group of players that won the FA Cup."

Arteta's Arsenal now face Manchester City in Tuesday's EFL Cup quarter-final before a Boxing Day showdown with Chelsea in the Premier League.