Bayern Munich 5 - Arsenal 1: Gunners thrashed as Champions League hopes hang by a thread



Robert Lewandoski scored first out of five goals



ARSENAL were simply blown away by Bayern’s fantastic firepower last night.

 

It was a night to forget for Arsene Wenger as Pep Guardiola’s side showed why they are one of the favourites to win the tournament.

The Gunners, in danger of going out in the group stage for the first time since 1999, were 4-0 down in just 55 minutes.

They had somehow beaten the German giants 2-0 at home 15 days earlier, despite having just 27 per cent possession.

 

Thomas Muller scored twice as Arsenal were soundly defeated

Their defend deep, press hard and catch them on the break approach paid off against all the odds in north London – but not in south Germany. Bayern boss Guardiola’s sense of injustice at the result at the Emirates was all too apparent before the game and his pumped-up side were determined not to get mugged again.

The team nicknamed FC Hollywood made Wenger’s men look like a bunch of extras as they kept the ball with embarrassing ease.

Arsenal may be second in the Premier League after five straight wins – and with a draw and a win at the Allianz Arena in the past three years, but that counted for nothing last night.

Even Petr Cech’s return to the scene of his Champions League final heroics against Bayern for Chelsea could not save the Gunners. And he did not play badly.

It all started to go wrong in the 10th minute.

 

Thomas Muller scoring the third

 

Arsene Wenger was left shell-shocked

Thiago’s ball into Robert Lewandowski saw Gabriel’s attempt to play offside horribly exposed and the Pole was able to glance a header into the far corner.

The Gunners looked to have equalised two minutes later when Nacho Monreal’s cross found Mesut Ozil at the near post.

They celebrated as the ball flashed into the net, but he used an elbow to deflect home and the German was booked.

Arsenal survived a penalty appeal when Kingsley Coman fell under a clumsy challenge from Joel Campbell and Cech punched away a Lewandowski curler for a corner before clutching a header from the forward as Bayern pressed.

But he did not do so well in the 29th minute. Coman mishit a shot from a Philipp Lahm cross and it went straight to Thomas Muller, whose snapshot deflected off Per Mertesacker and inside the post.

 

Cech did well to deny Muller in the 41st minute and seconds later pulled off a superb reflex stop to tip over the same player’s shot. But he was helpless in the 44th minute when Santi Cazorla was muscled off the ball by David Alaba, who strode forward and bent home a superb shot from 25 yards.

Whatever Wenger said to his side at half-time did not work as they soon fell 4-0 behind. Alaba turned provider to set up substitute Arjen Robben, who fired into the roof of the net.

Cazorla did force Manuel Neuer into a save two minutes later with Arsenal’s first attempt on target.

However, Olivier Giroud did at least give the visiting supporters something to cheer in the 69th minute, chesting Alexis Sanchez’s cross and volleying in. 

It was Bayern’s night though, and the Germans had the final say when Muller fired in his second late on.

Olympiakos won 2-1 at home against Dinamo Zagreb, meaning Arsenal must now beat Zagreb and then better the Greek side’s 3-2 win at the Emirates when they meet – and hope Olympiakos do not pull off a shock and beat Bayern in their own back yard. 

Something Arsenal failed miserably to do last night. 

BAYERN (4-1-4-1): Neuer; Lahm, Boateng (Benatia 68), Martinez, Alaba; Alonso; Costa, Muller, Thiago, Coman (Robben 55); Lewandowski (Vidal 71). Goals: Lewandowski 10,  Muller 29, 89, Alaba 44, Robben 55.

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla (Chambers 87); Campbell (Gibbs 59), Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud (Iwobi 85). Booked: Ozil, Campbell. Goal: Giroud 69. NEXT UP: Tottenham (h), Sun PL.

Referee: G Rocchi (Italy).