Wenger 'witch-hunt' has gone too far, says Bilic

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not deserve to be the victim of an unfair "witch-hunt", insists West Ham boss Slaven Bilic.

Wenger has come under extreme pressure after the Gunners fell 10 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea and lost 5-1 to Bayern Munich in the opening leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season and facing an uncertain future, but Bilic issued a staunch defence of his fellow top-flight manager.

Bilic wrote in the Evening Standard: "I would like to say something about Arsene Wenger and the criticism he has taken recently.

"OK it is part of the job and all that but at the end of the day, sometimes it is too much.

"We can all get the sack, of course, and you can take fair criticism but some of it crosses the line and it can develop into a witch-hunt.

"Nobody deserves that, least of all Arsene. You can't say he made Arsenal because that club have a great history and were at or near the top for many years before he went there.

"The fact is though, that in this modern era, he took the club to another level - and kept them there.

"Social media has added significantly to the intensity and what I really don't understand is the feeling, among some, that the more you earn, the more you should be immune to criticism.

"I doesn't matter if Arsene earns £1million or £5m - at the end of the day he is human. He is not doing his job now for the money."

Fourth-placed Arsenal do not have another match until they travel to Liverpool on March 4.