Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes Frank Lampard is under more pressure at Stamford Bridge than Mikel Arteta is at Arsenal.
Much of the talk around the next manager who could get the boot has surrounded Arteta following Arsenal's poor start to the season, with the Gunners currently in 15th, even after their win over Chelsea on Boxing Day.
But following three defeats in four games for Chelsea, there is now talk of Lampard needing results to guarantee his future having spent more than £200million in the summer, only to slip seven points behind leaders Liverpool before the turn of the year.
And that's why Cascarino believes Lampard could be under even more pressure than Arteta.
“Frank has got a real problem at the football club,” he told talkSPORT.
“I’m not convinced by the people that say Arteta is seriously under pressure; I think Frank is under every bit as much, and even more, pressure.
“Think of the history of the club, think of the owner and how he’s sacked people quite confidently, think that he’s spent £220m, think that he’s brought in a young lad from Germany [Kai Havertz] who is not even in the team and struggled, think of Timo Werner where they spent a lot investing and he’s struggled.
“You are under pressure as a Chelsea manager to challenge.
“Because when you are given £220m I guarantee you that conversation before the start of the season would have been, ‘what do you need to challenge Liverpool and Man City?’.
“That conversation would have happened.”
Chelsea are now eighth ahead of their clash with Aston Villa later today, with Dean Smith's men goal difference ahead with two games in hand.
