Arsenal managed to squeeze out a win over two legs against Benfica to make it to the last 16 of the Europa League where they will face Olympiacos.
The Gunners are sitting eleventh in the league table and any realistic chance of getting into next season’s Champions League depends on them winning the Europa League this year.
Groves admits while he saw green shoots of progress in the performance against Benfica, he feels that Arsenal are an average side under Arteta at the moment.
He is certain that the Spaniard will be the manager at Arsenal at the start of next season even if the Gunners fail to win the Europa League and with it, fail to qualify for the Champions League.
However, the former Gunner stressed that to survive at Arsenal, Arteta needs to make his side realistic challengers for a top four spot.
Groves said on talkSPORT: “I know where Arsenal are and they are an average team at the moment.
“I can see the green shoots of progress under Arteta and last night, I am hoping, was one of them that would get them even further.
“Arteta has got this season and then beginning of next season, Arsenal have to be challenging for those top four spaces because he would have had enough time.
“He would have had a season-and-a-half.
“He has got to win the Europa League but Arsenal aren’t getting rid of him even if they don’t win the Europa League.
“They will give him the beginning of next season as well without a shadow of a doubt.
“He would say he has got to get rid of all the deadwood, which players he didn’t want there, and that takes time to get them off the payroll.”
Arsenal have a tough game lined up on Sunday when they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
