Arsenal Champions League hopes in tatters, admits Arsene Wenger, after Bayern Munich enjoy five-goal revenge
Bayern Munich 5, Arsenal 1
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits their Champions League hopes are dangling by a thread after they suffered a record-equalling thrashing at Bayern Munich.
Two goals from Thomas Muller and further strikes by Robert Lewandowski, David Alaba and Arjen Robben were just reward for Bayern’s superiority and matched the Gunners’ heaviest ever European defeat.
Wenger’s men, for whom Olivier Giroud struck, now need maximum points from their remaining two group fixtures – and other results to go their way – to have any chance of reaching the last 16.
“It leaves us short,” he said. “It will be very tight now but we have to fight until the end. Lets hope Bayern beat Olympiacos and we win at home against Zagreb [in the next round of games] – at least we’ll have a chance in the last game.
“We know how big the chances are. We will give everything and realise that what we gave tonight would not be good enough to qualify anyway.
“Defensively we were extremely poor. We never looked like a team who recently played as a unit. Overall it’s a disappointing performance. The crazy thing is we looked always like we could create chances. No pressing, no concentration, no challenges. They are a good side and we paid for it.”
It was a humiliation to equal Arsenal’s 4-0 loss at AC Milan in 2012 and gravely jeopardise their 15-year run of reaching the knockout stage.
Bayern looked hungry to avenge last month’s defeat in London from the off, and reaped their reward for an opening 10 minutes of dominance when Lewandowski nodded Douglas Costa’s cross past Petr Cech.
Arsenal had the ball in the net moments later but it was ruled out for Mesut Ozil’s handled finish, before Bayern resumed their bombardment of Cech and doubled the advantage.
Muller rifled the first of his goals via the shin of Gunners captain Per Mertesacker and the outstanding Alaba effectively ended the contest just before half-time when he curled in from 25 yards.
Bayern demonstrated their attacking riches by throwing on Holland winger Robben early in the second half, and he struck their fourth with his first touch, turning Alaba’s cutback into the roof of the net.
Manuel Neuer’s save denied Santi Cazorla a consolation before Giroud notched for the visitors, taking Alexis Sanchez’s hopeful cross on his chest and volleying a scissor-kick.
Arsenal still needed a last-ditch Mathieu Debuchy tackle to deny Robben a second after he had rounded Cech, but Muller duly raced clear and slotted the fifth past Cech.
How can Arsenal still qualify?
Arsenal must win both of their remaining fixtures, at home to Dinamo Zagreb and away at Olympiacos, to have any chance of escaping Group F and reaching the knockout stage for a 16th consecutive year.
Even then they could still find themselves to Thursday night action in the Europa League, if the Greek champions pick up a surprise point or three at Bayern Munich – an outcome that would put them out of sight.
Should it come down to the last round of matches, the Gunners will need to beat Olympiacos by two goals – thus outweighing their 3-2 win in north London – to pip them to second place.