Arsenal Set Unwanted Record After Bayern Humiliation

The defeat is the worst suffered by an English Premier League side in the UEFA Champions League.

It was Arsenal’s biggest home loss since November 1998 (5-0 against Chelsea in the League Cup).

Only one Champions League tie has seen a greater margin of victory for a team – Bayern Munich v Sporting Lisbon (12-1, 2009). Also, only Barcelona (27 vs Celtic) have scored more CL goals vs a single opponent than Bayern have vs Arsenal (26).

The Gunners have now crashed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the seventh successive season.

Already trailing the German giants 5-1, the Gunners needed four unreplied goals to pull off a miracle.

Things started brightly for Arsene Wenger’s side as they opened scoring in the first half through a Theo Walcott emphatic finish.

However, things quickly turned against them when Laurent Koscielny was controversially sent off in the 54th minute for bringing down Robert Lewandowski inside the box, a decision that ultimately changed the course of the game.

Lewandowski converted from the spot to level proceedings, before Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa and Arturo Vidal (twice) completed a miserable night to forget for Arsene Wenger’s team.

It is three years ago now since Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis spoke of competing with Bayern Munich. But Wenger’s side have not only exited the Champions League at the first knockout stage for a seventh successive year, but the gap is widening.

When Bayern eliminated Arsenal in 2013 it was on away goals. The following year there were two goals separating the sides over 180 minutes. Last year Barcelona beat them 5-1 over two legs. This time Bayern managed to do that in each of them.

Prior to kick-off the mood outside the stadium had not been pleasant as around 200 protesters outside the ground sang: “Arsene Wenger, you’re killing our club” and “Arsene Wenger, we want you to go.”