Arsenal suffered an embarrassing 5-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and the reaction hasn’t been kind to them.
A second-half capitulation in Bavaria ensured that it’s highly unlikely that the Gunners will be advancing any further, and naturally the inquest began almost immediately with regards to their failings.
BT Sport pundits Michael Ballack and Rio Ferdinand had their say respectively, with the former insisting that he saw fear in the players in the tunnel prior to kick-off and believes that Arsenal were scared by the stage and occasion.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand was a little more scathing in his attack, as he insisted that there was no fight or aggression in the team, while he labelled them “spineless” as he failed to see any signs of leadership on the pitch with none of the players stepping up and reacting to what was happening.
It was certainly a humiliating night for the Premier League giants, and naturally the knives will be back out for Arsene Wenger who looked entirely dejected in his post-match interview as more questions will be asked about his future.
Martin Keown was also asked for his opinion on the matter, and it was evidently a difficult subject for him as he regards Wenger as his “footballing father” having enjoyed such great success together during his playing days.
No fight ?
No agression ?
Spineless ?@rioferdy5's frank assessment of @Arsenal. #FCBvAFC https://t.co/suCfr4QHQ0— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) February 15, 2017
"They were scared!" @Ballack questions @Arsenal's belief, starting from the tunnel… #FCBvAFC https://t.co/76Cd3H1ub1
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) February 15, 2017
However, Keown did concede that this is the French tactician’s lowest point ever, and it really does now look as though Wenger has no choice but to walk away when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Whether he does that remains to be seen, but pressure from the supporters will undoubtedly grow after this debacle, with pundits all questioning this Arsenal side and the criticism won’t stop any time soon.
"This is his lowest point, ever." @martinkeown5 on Arsene Wenger's current position at @Arsenal. #FCBvAFC https://t.co/vDGzm3BGYS
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) February 15, 2017