Arsene Wenger: Chelsea will not go down

Chelsea are not in a relegation battle, despite lying 16th in the Premier League, according to Arsene Wenger.

The Blues are one point above the drop zone and boss Jose Mourinho's future has been discussed by the board.

"If you ask me objectively 'will Chelsea go down?' I say no, no chance," said Arsenal boss Wenger, who has clashed with Mourinho in the past but did not discuss his present situation.

"They are in a difficult spell but they are not in a relegation battle."

Wenger was called a "specialist in failure" by Mourinho in February 2014, with the Frenchman labelling the remark "disrespectful" and "embarrassing".

The Arsenal boss also pushed Mourinho in Chelsea's 2-0 victory over the Gunners later that year.

In his first spell as Chelsea boss in 2005, Mourinho called Wenger a"voyeur".

Asked if he thought Chelsea's best chance of turning their form around was to keep Mourinho, Wenger added: "I do not want to assess any other things over Chelsea because it's not my problem."

Arsenal, who lie second in the Premier League, welcome third-placed Manchester City to Emirates Stadium on Monday holding a one-point lead over Manuel Pellegrini's side.

Wenger could have Alexis Sanchez back after a hamstring injury suffered in the draw at Norwich on 1 December.

"There is a very slight chance for Sanchez to be in the game," said Wenger. "He is running but not participating in full training.

"It is still December. We are not fighting for the Premier League on Monday but we will look to nullify individual quality they have."

Leicester are the surprise leaders of the Premier League with 35 points from their 16 games.

The average amount of points earned by the champions since the top flight was reduced to 20 teams is 85.7, but Wenger says the winners may take the title with a lower mark this term.

"It looks to be very tight. The Premier League could be decided at around 80 points," said Wenger.

"If you look at the results, consistency will be the main priority because every week you are surprised by results.

"We have established a good run and it is important we continue that."

Pep Guardiola to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season

Manchester City have been put on red alert by reports claiming Pep Guardiola is set to announce his decision to leave Bayern Munich.

The former Barcelona coach's contract at Bayern expires at the end of the season and he has been strongly linked with the Premier League club, as questioned continue to be asked of Manuel Pellegrini’s leadership at the Etihad Stadium.

On Wednesday Spanish newspaper Marca reported the 44-year-old has already informed the Bundesliga champions he is ready to seek out a new opportunity.

It was also claimed Guardiola is prepared to reject a €20million-per-season offer to continue at the Allianz Arena.

The Catalan has twice guided Bayern to the German title but the Champions League trophy has eluded him, with Real Madrid and then Barcelona eliminating the Bavarians in 2014 and 2015.

Manuel Pellegrini remains in charge of City, but with doubts still surrounding his tactical expertise, the two-time Premier League champions could be tempted to move quickly and secure Guardiola's services should he make himself available in the new year.

Manchester United and Chelsea have also been linked with the former Spain midfielder, although City are likely to be able to trump their rivals with a huge contract offer.

Samuel Eto'o given managerial chance at Antalyaspor

Former Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o has been appointed interim player-manager at Turkish side Antalyaspor.

The 34-year-old striker, who joined the club on a three-year contract in June, has been given three matches to impress at the helm.

He takes over from Yusuf Simsek, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent on 7 December.

Antalyaspor will make a decision about whether to give Eto'o the role permanently after the winter break.

Eto'o will be guided and assisted by Mehmet Ugurlu, who is the club's technical director, as the Cameroonian takes his first steps into management.

The move is an unexpected one the former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea player, who has been involved in a number of controversial and damaging disputes with his country's football federation as well as with team-mates.

One of his former international team-mates, Patrick M'boma, admitted he was "surprised Eto'o has gone into management so soon".

But he revealed Eto'o, who he played alongside in two Africa Cup of Nations-winning sides, has long-held ambitions in that area.

"I know it was in his plans to be a manager - he told me many years ago," M'boma told BBC Sport.

"But from what I know he has no experience. I hope he will be a good manager but I do not know.

"He has the personality and the knowledge, but I am not sure he will have the patience. If he can improve on the areas where he is weak he could be a success."

Chelsea board discuss ''The Unhappy One'' future

Jose Mourinho's Chelsea future is in question following discussions about his position between the London club's board of directors.

Owner Roman Abramovich led the talks after the champions were beaten 2-1 at Leicester on Monday.

It was their ninth Premier League defeat in 16 games and left them a point above the relegation places.

It is not clear whether Mourinho will be in charge for Saturday's home game against fellow strugglers Sunderland.

Mourinho, 52, in his second spell in charge of Chelsea, was given Abramovich's public backing in October, but domestic results have not improved since.

The Russian's instinct has always been to keep backing the man who brought the Premier League title back to Stamford Bridge last season and signed a new four-year contract in August.

However, Chelsea's form has collapsed, with the loss at Leicester leaving them 16th in the table with 15 points.

Abramovich and the rest of Chelsea's hierarchy are weighing up how long they can afford to wait for improvement.

The Blues are 20 points behind leaders Leicester and 14 off the Champions League places, with a crucial last-16 tie against Paris St-Germain to come in that tournament. 

Formal Chelsea forward Tony Cascarino told BBC Sport

"This is a critical period for Chelsea. It's gone from 'we can't win the league', 'we can't qualify for Champions League' to 'we're fighting relegation'. That, for Chelsea, will not be acceptable at the highest level."

The other dilemma is whether to deprive Mourinho, a manager with a proven track record of success, the opportunity to turn things around.

The January transfer window will soon open, giving the club the chance to bring in new faces and maybe get rid of a few old ones.

Mourinho turned on his players after Monday's defeat at The King Power Stadium, claiming they had "betrayed his work".

The Blues conceded goals to Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, with Mourinho insisting he had warned his players about the danger they posed.

In response, midfielder Cesc Fabregas said his team-mates needed to justify their "big wages" and start playing like "big players".

He was one of seven players the Blues manager said had been underperforming at the start of the season.

The other problem facing Abramovich and Chelsea is the lack of an available, quality successor.

The unemployed Carlo Ancelotti has already been sacked by the Blues, while other potential targets, such as Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola and Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone, out of reach at present.

It has led to speculation Chelsea may turn once more to Guus Hiddink on a temporary basis.

The 69-year-old Dutchman had a spell as caretaker boss in 2009, guiding the club to FA Cup success.