Ian Wright has compared Arsene Wenger's decline at Arsenal to an ageing Muhammad Ali or 'Brazil's Ronaldo when he got fat'.

Although Wenger will attempt to win the League Cup for the first time when Arsenal take on Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday, they are out of the Premier League title race after slipping five places and 27 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Many Arsenal fans believe Wenger should not have been handed a two-year contract extension at the end of last season and Gunners legend Wright appears to be of the same opinion.

Ian Wright compared Arsene Wenger's decline to an ageing Muhammad Ali and Ronaldo

Wright said 'the problem with Arsene is there is no one prepared to throw in the towel'

He told The Sunday Times: 'I spoke with Arsene for a few hours during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He is a fascinating man to talk to.

'During our conversation he said he accepts whatever criticism I make comes from a place of love.

'Watching him now is like witnessing the ageing Muhammad Ali against Larry Holmes, or watching Brazil's Ronaldo when he got fat.

'You are watching the greats in their demise. The problem with Arsene is that there is no one in his corner prepared to throw in the towel.'

Wenger speaks to Mesut Ozil (left) and Jack Wilshere (right) ahead of Sunday's EFL Cup final

Wright compared Wenger's demise to when Brazil star Ronaldo 'got fat' at the end of his career

Although Arsenal may collect another piece of silverware on Sunday, adding to three FA Cup successes in the last four seasons, they face a battle to make it back into the Champions League next season.

Wenger's side sit sixth in the Premier League table, some eight points off fourth position, and they have drawn AC Milan in the last-16 of the UEFA Europa League.

Wenger has no intention of quitting a year early this summer, insisting that he has always seen out his contracts, but failure to return the club to the Champions League could prove costly.

Muhammad Ali is left reeling by Larry Holmes during their heavyweight contest in 1980

Ali came out of retirement to take on Holmes for an $8million purse but suffered defeat

Wright was referring to Ali's 'Last Hurrah' fight with Holmes in Las Vegas in October 1980, over a year after Ali had announced his retirement from boxing.

Ali received $8million to participate in the fight but was dominated by Holmes, seven years his junior, and lost the third bout of his career when trainer Angelo Dundee stopped the fight after the 10th round.

Afterwards, medical examinations found that Ali had been left with shaking hands and a slurring of his speech.

His former ring doctor Ferdie Pachecho said: 'All the people involved in this fight should've been arrested. This fight was an abomination, a crime.'