Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has identified Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez as the perfect candidate to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.

Wenger is under mounting pressure at the Emirates Stadium, with the Gunners' entire season now resting on the Europa League, and Murphy believes that the Spaniard's style of play makes him a natural fit for the North London outfit.

"[Benitez] is exactly what Arsenal need," Murphy told talkSPORT.

"I heard Paul Merson saying Arsenal fans want a certain style of play and want to see a team play expansive football but they do that now and they get murdered. I only worked with him briefly, but he was bang on it.

"He was all about: 'This is what we're going to do and this is how we're going to do it'. You know exactly what you're doing. He is a calm manager but he's very assertive. You wouldn't want to cross him, he's got a real ruthlessness about him."

Arsenal's poor league form continued at the weekend when they lost 2-1 to Benitez's Newcastle.