Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal
At half time, there was a sense of cautious optimism. A sense that maybe, just maybe, Arsenal could break the cycle. They had the talent, they had the players. They had demonstrated that they could hurt Bayern defensively, and the penalty that had resulted in Sanchez's goal was no more than Arsenal deserved for a spirited final fifteen minutes of the first half.
Of course, that's just narrative. Bayern had utterly dominated Arsenal in the first half, with Lewandowski missing two crucial headed chances and a wonderful strike from Arjen Robben putting the German Champions in total control. Arsenal barely had a kick for half an hour before a rare foray into Bayern's half resulted in a fortuitous but fair penalty against the unfortunate Lewandowski.
And the reality of that narrative was made abundantly, brutally clear in the second half, as the gulf in class between these two teams was well and truly exposed, in what can only be described as a humiliating evisceration, leaving Arsenal's Champions League hopes not so much in tatters, but shredded, blended and then mashed into a pulp. Bayern weren't so much streets ahead as light-years.
I've seen games of football where a vastly superior team plays cat and mouse with the opposition, controlling the ball, dominating the game at will, and choosing strategically when to strike. Barcelona have done it for years: precise opportunities created and taken to tactically KO the opposition.
But this was something different. This was a team so comfortable in their authority, so calm in the knowledge that they were better, that they went for the kill from the moment they went in front, and never looked back. Bayern kept attacking until the very last whistle and only a combination of luck, poor finishing and world class keeping from Ospina kept the scoreline down. Bayern won the second half 4-0, but they could easily have scored twice that many.
Phillip Lahm, still one of the best right backs in the world at 33 and retiring far too young, delivered a pin-point cross that Lewandowski powered home, scoring a header at the third time of asking. Just a couple of minutes later, the big Polish striker flicked the ball delightfully around the corner for Thiago to run onto, as he powered the ball home.
Arsenal then rode their luck incredibly, with Lewandowski hitting the bar, Robben's rebound diverted wide via an Arsenal hand, and then the resulting corner forcing a point blank range save from Ospina. It was a miracle that Arsenal weren't 4-1 down sooner. But 4-1 down they soon were as Thiago's shot was deflected past Ospina for his second of the night, the Bayern attacking midfielder showing why he's keeping Thomas Muller on the bench with a phenomenal man of the match display.
And there was simply no let up for Arsenal as both Robben and Costa were denied from close range by top saves from Ospina, who was screaming at his defence, which was totally and utterly hapless after Laurent Koscielny came off in the 49th minute. Wenger blamed a lack of mental strength, which is certainly accurate, but a lack of fight, hunger, defensive cohesion and any level of organisation certainly played a part. Arsenal did lack a leader, but they also lacked any individual quality. Sanchez, who had been excellent at points in the first half, was anonymous in the second. To suggest that Coquelin and Xhaka are Champions League central midfielders is laughable, as 36-year-old Xabi Alonso ran the show for Bayern, and Thiago ran circles around the pair. Coquelin managed six passes and no tackles in his 77 minutes on the pitch, with Xhaka not much better. It was honestly a bit of a joke that the commentators were suggesting Arsenal needed a second goal to stay in the tie, as if anything that they had witnessed over the previous 80 minutes suggested that the Gunners were anywhere close to still in the tie.
And Bayern made it a humbling 5-1 to compound a pathetic night for Arsenal, as Thomas Muller came off the bench to slam home. The same result as in November 2015 really compounded the sense around the Emirates that Arsenal simply have not progressed under Wenger, and even if they aren't going noticeably backwards, they've not made a Champions League quarter final in seven years now, and at this stage, might even be lucky to get into the competition next season.
This was the sort of night that would make you ask: why does top four matter? Why does Champions League qualification matter? If the first time you come across a decent team you get humiliated then why put so much stock in qualifying at all?
And so the recriminations of this defeat are ringing around the world of English football right now. Is it time for Arsene Wenger to go? Is Alexis Sanchez on his way out of the club? Is Mesut Ozil finished as a top player? Simply put, where do Arsenal go from here?
Now there's a reasonable case to be made that conclusions shouldn't be jumped to based on one game of football, and that much is true. But these are the sorts of games that end careers. These are the sorts of games that would have the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson selling players at the next available window. And moreover, this isn't simply one game, but a symptom of how far Arsenal are off the pace at the top end of world football. The defence is still held together by Koscielny, their midfield is still spineless and inadequate, Wenger got his tactics wrong, picked the wrong players, Ozil's laziness and poor form are not going anywhere any time soon and this team is painfully over-reliant on Alexis Sanchez and to an extent Olivier Giroud to produce end-product.
Do I think Arsene Wenger should leave in the summer? Honestly yes. The current noise is that he will decide at the end of the season, but I really think that his time has come. Arsenal haven't been able to close the gap to the top teams, either in the Premier League or in Europe, and their failure to muster a prolonged title challenge last season with Chelsea, Liverpool and the Manchester clubs so far off the pace signals the final straw.
There is certainly a case to be made that the grass isn't always greener, but right now the grass isn't looking overly green for Arsenal to begin with and to suggest that there aren't quality managers out there simply isn't true. Sampaoli at Sevilla is doing wonderful work (but sadly will probably end up at Barcelona). Emery at PSG and Diego Simeone would be quite tough to secure and maybe not quite fit the bill but they're both very good options and the current favourite for the job, Allegri would certainly be no bad option, having had success in Italy: winning three Serie A titles, two Coppa Italias, two Supercoppa Italiana and a Champions League runners up medal since 2010 with AC Milan and Juventus.
As for players, I personally think it's hard to say for certain that Alexis Sanchez will leave in the summer, but I'd be surprised if he stayed should Arsenal finish outside the top four. And if Wenger leaves then there's every chance Ozil will leave too. Regardless, Arsenal need to sign top players, something that they're capable if not willing to do.
As for Bayern, they look set for another successful season. They're making light work of the competition in the Bundesliga, and have to be considered favourites for the Champions League after this display, especially with Barcelona crashing out at the hands of PSG. It's hard to imagine even the two Madrid clubs besting them over two legs.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid saw off Napoli 3-1, a scoreline that just about keeps the Italian side in the second leg. There were some really good goals in this one too, with Casemiro's wonder volley the pick of the bunch, and some pretty poor defending from Napoli very much in the mix. On Tuesday night, PSG ran riot against Barca 4-0, a scoreline that had me flummoxed when I got a chance to check the scores after work, and Dortmund lost 1-0 at Benfica. Next week: Leicester and Man City try not to get humiliated against Sevilla and Monaco respectively, whilst Juventus travel to Porto and Bayer Leverkeusen face Athletico. More shocks inbound?
Of course, that's just narrative. Bayern had utterly dominated Arsenal in the first half, with Lewandowski missing two crucial headed chances and a wonderful strike from Arjen Robben putting the German Champions in total control. Arsenal barely had a kick for half an hour before a rare foray into Bayern's half resulted in a fortuitous but fair penalty against the unfortunate Lewandowski.
And the reality of that narrative was made abundantly, brutally clear in the second half, as the gulf in class between these two teams was well and truly exposed, in what can only be described as a humiliating evisceration, leaving Arsenal's Champions League hopes not so much in tatters, but shredded, blended and then mashed into a pulp. Bayern weren't so much streets ahead as light-years.
I've seen games of football where a vastly superior team plays cat and mouse with the opposition, controlling the ball, dominating the game at will, and choosing strategically when to strike. Barcelona have done it for years: precise opportunities created and taken to tactically KO the opposition.
But this was something different. This was a team so comfortable in their authority, so calm in the knowledge that they were better, that they went for the kill from the moment they went in front, and never looked back. Bayern kept attacking until the very last whistle and only a combination of luck, poor finishing and world class keeping from Ospina kept the scoreline down. Bayern won the second half 4-0, but they could easily have scored twice that many.
Phillip Lahm, still one of the best right backs in the world at 33 and retiring far too young, delivered a pin-point cross that Lewandowski powered home, scoring a header at the third time of asking. Just a couple of minutes later, the big Polish striker flicked the ball delightfully around the corner for Thiago to run onto, as he powered the ball home.
And there was simply no let up for Arsenal as both Robben and Costa were denied from close range by top saves from Ospina, who was screaming at his defence, which was totally and utterly hapless after Laurent Koscielny came off in the 49th minute. Wenger blamed a lack of mental strength, which is certainly accurate, but a lack of fight, hunger, defensive cohesion and any level of organisation certainly played a part. Arsenal did lack a leader, but they also lacked any individual quality. Sanchez, who had been excellent at points in the first half, was anonymous in the second. To suggest that Coquelin and Xhaka are Champions League central midfielders is laughable, as 36-year-old Xabi Alonso ran the show for Bayern, and Thiago ran circles around the pair. Coquelin managed six passes and no tackles in his 77 minutes on the pitch, with Xhaka not much better. It was honestly a bit of a joke that the commentators were suggesting Arsenal needed a second goal to stay in the tie, as if anything that they had witnessed over the previous 80 minutes suggested that the Gunners were anywhere close to still in the tie.
And Bayern made it a humbling 5-1 to compound a pathetic night for Arsenal, as Thomas Muller came off the bench to slam home. The same result as in November 2015 really compounded the sense around the Emirates that Arsenal simply have not progressed under Wenger, and even if they aren't going noticeably backwards, they've not made a Champions League quarter final in seven years now, and at this stage, might even be lucky to get into the competition next season.
This was the sort of night that would make you ask: why does top four matter? Why does Champions League qualification matter? If the first time you come across a decent team you get humiliated then why put so much stock in qualifying at all?
And so the recriminations of this defeat are ringing around the world of English football right now. Is it time for Arsene Wenger to go? Is Alexis Sanchez on his way out of the club? Is Mesut Ozil finished as a top player? Simply put, where do Arsenal go from here?
Now there's a reasonable case to be made that conclusions shouldn't be jumped to based on one game of football, and that much is true. But these are the sorts of games that end careers. These are the sorts of games that would have the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson selling players at the next available window. And moreover, this isn't simply one game, but a symptom of how far Arsenal are off the pace at the top end of world football. The defence is still held together by Koscielny, their midfield is still spineless and inadequate, Wenger got his tactics wrong, picked the wrong players, Ozil's laziness and poor form are not going anywhere any time soon and this team is painfully over-reliant on Alexis Sanchez and to an extent Olivier Giroud to produce end-product.Do I think Arsene Wenger should leave in the summer? Honestly yes. The current noise is that he will decide at the end of the season, but I really think that his time has come. Arsenal haven't been able to close the gap to the top teams, either in the Premier League or in Europe, and their failure to muster a prolonged title challenge last season with Chelsea, Liverpool and the Manchester clubs so far off the pace signals the final straw.
There is certainly a case to be made that the grass isn't always greener, but right now the grass isn't looking overly green for Arsenal to begin with and to suggest that there aren't quality managers out there simply isn't true. Sampaoli at Sevilla is doing wonderful work (but sadly will probably end up at Barcelona). Emery at PSG and Diego Simeone would be quite tough to secure and maybe not quite fit the bill but they're both very good options and the current favourite for the job, Allegri would certainly be no bad option, having had success in Italy: winning three Serie A titles, two Coppa Italias, two Supercoppa Italiana and a Champions League runners up medal since 2010 with AC Milan and Juventus.
As for players, I personally think it's hard to say for certain that Alexis Sanchez will leave in the summer, but I'd be surprised if he stayed should Arsenal finish outside the top four. And if Wenger leaves then there's every chance Ozil will leave too. Regardless, Arsenal need to sign top players, something that they're capable if not willing to do.
As for Bayern, they look set for another successful season. They're making light work of the competition in the Bundesliga, and have to be considered favourites for the Champions League after this display, especially with Barcelona crashing out at the hands of PSG. It's hard to imagine even the two Madrid clubs besting them over two legs.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid saw off Napoli 3-1, a scoreline that just about keeps the Italian side in the second leg. There were some really good goals in this one too, with Casemiro's wonder volley the pick of the bunch, and some pretty poor defending from Napoli very much in the mix. On Tuesday night, PSG ran riot against Barca 4-0, a scoreline that had me flummoxed when I got a chance to check the scores after work, and Dortmund lost 1-0 at Benfica. Next week: Leicester and Man City try not to get humiliated against Sevilla and Monaco respectively, whilst Juventus travel to Porto and Bayer Leverkeusen face Athletico. More shocks inbound?
The Hard and Fast Section
- Mark Clattenburg is off to Saudi Arabia. Farewell.
- Europa League tonight. United and Spurs in action.
- Root confirmed and so far making all the right noises.
- Alun Wyn Jones backed for Lions captaincy. Contender.
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