Arsene Wenger at 'Lowest Point' After Bayern Beat Arsenal, Says Martin Keown

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown believes Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is at his "lowest point ever," following his side's 5-1 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich on Wednesday, per BT Sport (via Jack Davies for Goal).

"I can't ever say that I'd like to see him go when you've won things," he said on BT Sport, per Davies. "He's almost my footballing father. You do things as a family. But he's an intelligent man and this is obviously his lowest point ever."

Keown was speaking in the immediate aftermath of a defeat that will probably lead to Arsenal's elimination at the last-16 stage of the Champions League for the seventh consecutive season.

The mood following the game was summarised neatly by football writer Kristan Heneage on Twitter:

According to the former England international, it is increasingly likely that 2016-17 will be Wenger's last season at the club.

"Should he be protected from himself? This is a massive low point for him and will only bring forward the change that looks ever more likely," Keown said, per Davies. "I think it will be him that makes the decision. The realisation [is]... he's probably going to have to hand the reins over to someone else."

Wenger's contract with the club expires at the end of the current campaign, and the Frenchman has been coy on his future in north London. As recently as Feb. 12, he told BBC Sport he is "not ready" to leave, despite growing murmurs within the media that the end is nigh.

His comments were a direct rejection of Ian Wright's assertion on BBC Radio 5 live that "[Wenger] actually mentioned that he is coming to the end" while the pair were at dinner.

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Wright may have misinterpreted his conversation with Wenger, but the rumours of his imminent departure refuse to go away.

Keown, who was scathing in his criticism of the performance at Bayern, is chief among those predicting the end. "It's almost embarrassing. Outclassed, outplayed," he told BT Sport (h/t BBC Sport).

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was similarly damning on BT Sport, calling the display "spineless," per the same source. "You want to see fire in their belly and that's the most disheartening thing for me."

Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League table, but having lost two of their last four league matches, they have Liverpool and Manchester United breathing down their neck. The Gunners travel to Sutton United on Monday in the FA Cup fifth round, which, unless they can produce one of the greatest Champions League comebacks in history, is Wenger's only chance of silverware this season.

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The Arsenal manager is now "widely believed" to be exiting the club at the end of the campaign, according to Charlie Eccleshare for the Telegraph. One reason for this is the emerging agreement among ex-Arsenal stars that something psychological has changed.

Lee Dixon, speaking on ITV, said Wednesday's defeat was "the first time where I've seen [Wenger] where I've thought, 'he thinks it's time'," per Eccleshare.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe and Borussia Dortmund's Thomas Tuchel are the bookies' favourites, per Oddschecker,  although perhaps such talk is premature.

After all, Wenger has surprised us with contract extensions in the past, and he is still competing for silverware—as well as that much-coveted fourth spot in the Premier League—this season.

But if Keown is right, and this really is Wenger's "lowest point," then we could see a new face in the dugout by August.