Bayern Munich humiliated Arsene Wenger in final Champions League game and left Arsenal fans accusing Alexis Sanchez of laughing

Arsenal were sick of the sight of Bayern Munich during the final knockings of Arsene Wenger’s reign but now they can take revenge.

The Gunners have been unstoppable in 2024 but ghosts of Champions League seasons gone by could come back to haunt them.

Mikel Arteta’s men are unbeaten in the Premier League this year with ten victories and one draw from 11 matches.

However, it is a mark of how much the club hates facing Bayern Munich that Arsenal are not considered overwhelmingly favourites.

This is the fifth Champions League campaign in which the two teams will meet in the knockout stages, with Bayern progressing on all previous four occasions.

Arsenal have also lost their last three games against the Bundesliga giants by the same 5-1 scoreline, which is their joint-biggest margin of defeat in European competition.

The most recent meeting in March 2017 remains Arsenal’s heaviest defeat in any competition at the Emirates Stadium.

Set to the backdrop of ‘Wenger out’ protests from fans before kick-off, the Gunners took the lead on the night through Theo Walcott.

However, things unravelled for Arsenal early in the second half following Laurent Koscielny’s controversial red card.

From that decision, Robert Lewandowski scored from the penalty spot before strikes from Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa alongside a late brace from Arturo Vidal saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side compound the humiliation.

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The defeat, which was Arsenal’s fifth in seven games, meant the club tumbled out at the last-16 stage for a seventh successive season.

It also proved to be Wenger’s final Champions League match in charge, with the Frenchman’s run of top-four finishes ending later that season.

Wenger, who confirmed his plans to leave the Emirates 11 months later, directed his post-match fury at the officials.

“We produced a performance with the spirit and pride we wanted,” he said. “After that the story finishes badly.

“We were really unlucky because it was a 100 percent penalty at 1-0 in the first half on Walcott. In the second half the ref killed the game.

“He was very, very powerful for Bayern. Lewandowski was offside and it was not a penalty and, on top of that, he gives us a red card that kills us completely.

“Bayern are a good side but they can say thank you to the referee for the decisions in the second half. It leaves me very angry and frustrated. Even more so because we are in a difficult period.

“It is absolutely unexplainable and scandalous. I will take a lot of criticism but it doesn’t change my mind. It doesn’t make them right. The players have not let me down. The referee has let us down.”

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Alexis Sanchez had made headlines in the days before the game, having been dropped for the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool four days prior.

The Chilean was reportedly punished for a training ground bust-up with question marks around his future in north London.

Although he was reinstated for the thrashing to Bayern, Sanchez later incurred the wrath of irate fans when he was substituted.

Footage seemed to show the former Manchester United star attempting to stifle a laugh after Arturo Vidal made it 5-1.

Ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, who was sat next to Sanchez, came out in staunch defence of his teammate at the time.

“It is sad and he was as sad as I have seen him,” said Cech.

“You are 5-1 down and somebody twists it and says you are laughing on the bench. I found it very disrespectful to the player.

“But obviously, you can take the picture and you can interpret it in the way want. The players know exactly what he said and we know how he was hurting and he was as disappointed as anybody.”

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Following the full-time whistle, Rio Ferdinand said: “It’s embarrassing, the heart has been ripped out of this place [Emirates].

Ian Wright added: “It’s a sad day. You have to say this is the worst period in Arsenal’s history.

“It feels like an end of an era.”

Now under Arteta, it’s a new era and a chance to rewrite history – or at the very least, display the Emirates heart that has been restored…

talkSPORT will have live coverage of Arsenal vs Bayern Munich from 8pm with Adrian Durham, Jim Proudfoot, and Andy Townsend