Another humiliating embarrassment in Europe!
Arsenal have once again proved that 'David' doesn't always beat 'Goliath'. For in the Champions League last 16 knock-out tie read Arsenal as little 'David' and Bayern Munich as the juggernaut 'Goliath' that just runs over a pathetic opponent every time they meet.
Over the two-legged tie, the aggregate score amounting to 10-2 is simply a joke. Now add the 5-1 scoreline from the last time they met as well (the same stage last season in the Champions League) and that is a whopping 15-3 in Bayern’s favour. No, this is not a joke! When Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium they quoted themselves as saying that within a few years they will be competing with the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Well, by the fact that Bayern Munich have embarrassingly humiliated them out of the Champions League for the last two years, following on from the humiliating defeats and exile from Barcelona the previous year, from that then they were obviously talking about the finances of the clubs and not the football itself. Goodness me, they couldn't even get past Monaco the season before that, so the club is definitely not competing in football terms.
In Europe, Arsenal's history of winning trophies is in reality pathetic! The last time they won a European trophy was the now obsolete Cup Winners’ Cup under George Graham in 1994, when Alan Smith scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Parma of Italy (Parma has since disappeared from football). The only other European trophy they have ever won is the other obsolete one, which is the fore-runner of the UEFA Cup when it was called the 'Fairs Cup' (played over a two-legged final) in 1970. Apart from these two European trophies (now as stated obsolete), Arsenal have appeared in several finals and lost them ALL. These include the Cup Winners’ Cup Final in 1980 (drawing 0-0 and losing to Valencia on penalties), the two-legged 1994 European Super Cup versus A.C. Milan (losing both ties 0-2, and 0-4 on aggregate), the Cup Winners’ Cup final in 1995 against mighty 'Real Zaragoza' (failing to retain the trophy they had won the season before and. most notable, for David Seaman being chipped in the last minute of extra-time by an ex-Spurs player Nayim), the 2000 UEFA Cup final to Galatasaray, again on penalties, losing 1-4, after extra-time. And finally, the 2006 Champions League final to Barcelona, 2-1, minus a fit Dennis Bergkamp, and substituted Robert Pires, arguably Arsenal's two best players that season. So, in truth, Arsenal's pedigree in Europe is terrible in comparison to other English teams such as Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and even Nottingham Forest (under Nigel Clough) have a better record than us in Europe, not to mention Aston Villa.
Arsene Wenger is quick to voice the fact that Arsenal have been the most consistent team in England to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League, well, woopy-doo, because with it along comes the most consistent team to never win it, as he fails every single season to do anything in the competition.
In the 18 consecutive seasons that Arsenal have been in the Champions League under Wenger, and the competition's various formats, they have been eliminated once in the group stage (1999), once in the second group stage (2000, where they went on to drop into the UEFA Cup and 'lose' the final), twice in the second group stage (2002 and 2003), eight times at the Round of 16 stage (2005, 2007, and the last six years on the trot, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), four quarter-finals (2001, 2004, 2008, 2010), one semi-final (2009), and one final (2006, which they lost). So, in 18 years of trying they have NEVER managed to win ONE single Champions League. During that time, they have been eliminated by several other English clubs, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea, all who subsequently during those 18 years have all WON the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.
Arsenal may be a 'big club', but in Europe they are annual 'also-rans', they simply just make up the numbers until they meet up with a bigger fish whom they pretend to imitate. The results speak for themselves, and history doesn't lie. Arsenal are pathetic in Europe and that is a fact! This is why the fans are annoyed and of which most don't give two hoots about finishing fourth, because not only is it 'groundhog day' in the Premier League (last won in 2004), but in Europe as well.
Arsene Wenger is quoted as saying that his job is to get Arsenal to the next level! That should start at maybe having a shoot on target in the first-half of a game sometime.
This may just be the season where a top four finishing position is severely threatened, and at this particular moment in time I can't see it. Many fans agree. This may also end up being a blessing in disguise as perhaps a new man may come in and freshen things up should Wenger decide to call it a day. It would also bring an end to the embarrassing exits out of the competition year in year out under the Frenchman.