Exclusive: Arsene Wenger's time at Arsenal set to end if Hull deal FA Cup knockout

ARSENE Wenger has around 90 minutes to save his job as the longest serving manager in the Premier League.

The defining game will be Arsenal's FA Cup fifth round replay at Hull on Tuesday.

If the Gunners lose that - before their expected exit from the Champions League in Barcelona on March 16 - the Frenchman is likely to be 'invited' to leave the club he has managed for 20 years at the end of the season.

And former club legend Patrick Vieira, made captain by Wenger in Arsenal's glory years, last night emerged as favourite to succeed him.

The decision to potentially replace 66-year-old Wenger is believed to have been seriously considered for the first time after Arsenal's third successive defeat at home to Swansea last week.

Insiders say the manner in which previously loyal supporters turned on him after that 2-1 loss finally convinced directors that a change may be necessary, even though the Gunners still have a realistic chance of winning the Premier League title.

After 84 per cent of fans in a London opinion poll called for Wenger to be axed bookmakers William Hill installed Vieira, currently head coach of New York City FC, as 7/1 favourite to take over the club he served for nine years as a player and with whom he won three Premier League titles.

Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone (8/1) and Southampton manager Ronald Koeman (10/1) are the next most fancied to land what has previously been regarded as the safest job in football.

Simeone and Koeman have also been linked with the vacant manager's job at Chelsea when interim coach Guus Hiddink leaves in the summer.

Whatever happens Wenger's leaving - voluntarily or otherwise - will speed up a top flight managerial merry-go-round that started when Jose Mourinho was axed at Chelsea and will go into a frantic summer spin with the touted departure of Louis Van Gaal at Manchester United and Pep Guardiola's arrival at City in place of Manuel Pellegrini.

Wenger's position will probably only change if Arsenal beat Hull, go on to Wembley and also manage to lift the league title as well.

And, of course, he doesn't decide to call it a day anyway.