Arsenal's season plummeted to a new low as Championship side Blackburn Rovers knocked them out of the FA Cup with a shock 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.
Turkey international Colin Kazim-Richards scored the only goal of the game with just 20 minutes remaining to send Blackburn through to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2007, when they coincidentally knocked out Arsenal via a replay at Ewood Park.
It was another bad day in the dugout for Wenger
Malcontented Arsenal fans will again be experiencing déjà vu as they debate whether this should be the final season of Arsène Wenger's tenure at the club, as he suffered a first FA Cup loss to a lower league club. They face Bayern Munich in the Champions League next week and barring a Chelsea-like miracle, will go nine years without winning a trophy. When Manchester United experienced a similar drought between 1968 and 1977 they went through four managers.
Arsenal 0-1 Blackburn
Soccer - FA Cup - Fifth Round - Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers - Emirates Stadium(01 of48)
Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen watches as the shot of Blackburn's Colin Kazim-Richards creeps in the far post during the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
Soccer - FA Cup - Fifth Round - Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers - Emirates Stadium(02 of48)
Blackburn Rovers' Grant Hanley (left) and Martin Olsson celebrate with goalkeeper Jake Kean after the game (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' Scott Dann and Bradley Orr celebrate beating Arsenal (credit:PA)
Soccer - FA Cup - Fifth Round - Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers - Emirates Stadium(04 of48)
Blackburn Rovers' winning goalscorer Colin Kazim-Richards celebrates with Grant Hanley and Scott Dann after the game (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' winning goalscorer Colin Kazim-Richards celebrates with Grant Hanley (right) after the game (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' players celebrate after the game (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' manager Michael Appleton celebrates with Jake Kean after beating Arsenal (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' manager Michael Appleton celebrates with his players after beating Arsenal (credit:PA)
Soccer - FA Cup - Fifth Round - Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers - Emirates Stadium(09 of48)
Blackburn Rovers' manager Michael Appleton celebrates with his players after beating Arsenal (credit:PA)
Soccer - FA Cup - Fifth Round - Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers - Emirates Stadium(10 of48)
Blackburn Rovers' manager Michael Appleton celebrates with goalscorer Colin Kazim-Richards after beating Arsenal (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Gervinho reacts after missing a chance to score during the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Olivier Giroud and Blackburn Rover's Jason Lowe during the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Olivier Giroud and Blackburn Rover's Jason Lowe during the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Blackburn's Grant Hanley during the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Gervinho reacts after missing a chance to score during the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Gervinho and Blackburn Rover's Lee Williamson (right) during the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on the touchline. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Theo Walcott challenges Blackburn Rovers' goalkeeper Jake Kean (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Olivier Giroud stands dejected after they concede the opening goal of the game (credit:PA)
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David Bentley, Blackburn Rovers (credit:PA)
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David Bentley, Blackburn Rovers (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny wins the ball in the air (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' fans celebrate after they take the lead (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' Colin Kazim-Richards celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game in front of the fans (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Vassiriki Diaby (left) and Blackburn Rovers' Jason Lowe battle for the ball (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' Colin Kazim-Richards celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Theo Walcott kneels dejected (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' Morten Gamst Pedersen wins the ball off Arsenal's Theo Walcott (credit:PA)
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Making his loan debut for Blackburn Rovers David Bentley, right, comes on as a substitute for Marcus Olsson during the English FA Cup fifth round soccer match against Arsenal at the Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (credit:AP)
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Blackburn Rovers' David Bentley comes on to replace Blackburn Rovers' Markus Olsson (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' manager Michael Appleton on the touchline. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Yao Gervinho (left) and Blackburn Rovers' Jason Lowe battle for the ball (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' Jordan Rhodes (left) and Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen battle for the ball (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' Colin Kazim-Richards wins a header (credit:PA)
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Jake Kean, Blackburn Rovers (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, no. 8, kicks a freekick but fails to score against Blackburn Rovers during their English FA Cup fifth round soccer match at the Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (credit:AP)
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Arsenal's Tomas Rosicky, front, competes for the ball with Blackburn Rovers' Lee Williamson during their English FA Cup fifth round soccer match at the Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (credit:AP)
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Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, right, competes for the ball with Blackburn Rovers' Jordan Rhodes during their English FA Cup fifth round soccer match at the Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (credit:AP)
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Arsenal's Abou Diaby, right, competes for the ball with Blackburn Rovers' Colin Kazim-Richards during their English FA Cup fifth round soccer match at the Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (credit:AP)
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Blackburn Rovers' Jordan Rhodes (left) and Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen battle for the ball (credit:PA)
Soccer - FA Cup - Fifth Round - Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers - Emirates Stadium(41 of48)
Blackburn Rovers' Jordan Rhodes (left) and Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen battle for the ball (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Vassiriki Diaby (right) and Blackburn Rovers' Colin Kazim-Richards battle for the ball (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's Mikel Arteta (right) and Blackburn Rovers' Jordan Rhodes battle for the ball (credit:PA)
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Blackburn Rovers' goalkeeper Jake Kean saves from Arsenal's Vassiriki Diaby (left) (credit:PA)
Soccer - FA Cup - Fifth Round - Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers - Emirates Stadium(45 of48)
Blackburn Rovers' goalkeeper Jake Kean saves from Arsenal's Vassiriki Diaby (left) (credit:PA)
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Arsenal's shows his dejection after the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
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Blackburn's Jason Lowe celebrates victory after the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger shows his dejection during the FA Cup fifth round match at The Emirates Stadium, London. (credit:PA)
Wenger rested Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski - four of his main attackers - against Blackburn ahead of Munich's arrival in London on Tuesday. Yet when the Gunners went out of the League Cup at Bradford the Frenchman played a near-full strength side. Most will agree Arsenal had a stronger chance of winning the FA Cup than the Champions League.
Ironically the arrival of Wilshere, Walcott and Cazorla came a minute before Kazim-Richards' fortuitous winner.