Arsenal have had nineteen attempts at winning the Champions League under Arsene Wenger and after last nights abysmal performance in Germany, it looks like this is the end of this seasons European campaign.
It took Bayern Munich just 11 minutes to open the scoring against Arsenal when Arjen Robben’s shot from outside the penalty area slotted in to the top corner. Arsenal then managed to survive wave after wave of Bayern attacks and were awarded a penalty on one of their few ventures outside their own half.
Sanchez contrived to miss the penalty, although a wonderful finish on the follow-up meant that Arsenal would go in at half-time level on goals and with a belief that they could actually take something from this match despite looking completely out of their depth.
The second half was a completely different story though. Bayern Munich were ruthless in attack and totally dominated possession. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, a double from Thiago Alcantara and a late goal from Thomas Muller has all but wrapped this tie up. Arsenal’s defence was shambolic and it could easily have been seven for Bayern Munich had it not been for Ospina in the Arsenal goal.
This was Arsenal’s nineteenth attempt at the Champions League under Arsene Wenger, and the closest they have come to winning the trophy was a final appearance in 2006 against Barcelona when they lost 2-1. They were an agonising 14 minutes from being crowned Champions in that season and despite having to play most of the game with 10 men after Jens Leham saw red after 18 minutes they put in a dogged and determined performance. Barcelona’s superiority shone through in the end with goals from Samuel Eto’o and then Juliano Belletti breaking the Gunners hearts. It’s looking likely that Arsene Wenger will never get as good a chance as that night to lift the trophy that he craves so much.
Their record in the knock-out stages of this competition is dire to say the least and they have gone out at the same stage in each of the last seven seasons and if they can’t find a way to combat the ‘big guns’ of European football this will be their level for the foreseeable future.
It’s back to FA Cup action with a tie against Sutton United this weekend, however with a crucial game against Liverpool in the Premier League looming large, a game which could see Liverpool leapfrog Arsenal and put them into fifth place, the pressure is mounting on Arsene Wenger to deliver.
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