Meaningless Arsenal victories: Bayern Munich, Barcelona and AC Milan feature in our look back at seven utterly pointless Gunners wins under Arsene Wenger
The Gunners are undoubtedly world's greatest team — when it comes to winning big games with nothing riding on them
ARSENAL are without doubt the world’s greatest club — when it comes to absolutely pointless wins.
When the pressure is off, the Gunners will always come through, and there are many who believe they will beat Bayern Munich at home, but still go out of the Champions League,
They will pull off heroics, celebrate ‘the kind of victory which defines champions’ — before losing the type of match only Arsenal can.
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Across the Champions League and Premier League, there are many instances when Arsene Wenger’s men snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the most dramatic and unbelievable fashion, only for it to count for absolutely nothing.
Here are seven utterly pointless Arsenal victories
Arsenal 1 Bayern Munich 0 (Agg 2-3), Champions League last-16 second leg — 2004-05
BEFORE the Bundesliga were the force they currently are, Arsenal had a real chance here.
A year earlier the Gunners had legitimate claim to be the best side on the continent as the famously won the Premier League without losing a game, but faced Champions League elimination at the hands of Chelsea.
However, despite the anticipation, Wenger’s men fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of a Claudio Pizarro inspired Bayern in Munich, but Kolo Toure’s late away goal had given them hope.
Thierry Henry superbly broke the deadlock in the second leg at Highbury, but it was all in vain.
In their very next Champions League match, Bayern lost 4-2 at Chelsea, en route to elimination.
Arsenal 2 Barcelona 1, Champions League last-16 first leg — 2010-11
TWO years earlier Barcelona had completed the Treble, and were even considered the best team of all-time — so Arsenal had no chance, right?
Well it certainly appeared so when the visitors took a 26th-minute lead through David Villa and were cruising with just 12 minutes remaining.
Until Gunners ‘heroes’ Robin van Persie equalised and Andrei Arshavin turned things around seven minutes from time.
The hosts held on for a famous victory to cue pandemonium in the Emirates stand — but they must have forgotten there was a second leg.
Van Persie was sent off as the Gunners became the only side in Champions League history to score without having a shot as Sergio Busquets’ own goal made the scoreline a more respectable 3-1 at the Nou Camp.
Arsenal 3 AC Milan 0 (Agg 3-4), Champions League last-16 — 2011-12
THE Gunners were taken apart by a Milan side which featured Robinho at the San Siro.
In fact, the Brazilian netted twice in the rout, which appeared to put the tie to bed after just one leg.
However, Laurent Koscielny and Tomas Rosicky reduced the lead by two goals within 26 minutes — and Van Persie’s 43rd-minute penalty meant the Gunners had the whole of the second half to find just one goal.
The future Manchester United striker was guilty of a terrible miss, but Arsenal were able to enjoy a superb, if completely pointless, victory.
They were able to enjoy for the next four months until September when they started their next Champions League campaign.
Bayern Munich 0 Arsenal 2 (Agg 3-3), Champions League last-16 — 2012-13
IT WAS now an annual event — but the Gunners decided to up the ante by achieving their miraculous and pointless win away from home.
Arsenal were torn apart at home in the first leg with Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Mario Mandzukic earning a 3-1 win.
But the Wenger and Co. were determined to do everything in their power to almost stay in the competition.
Olivier Giroud opened the scoring at the Allianz after three minutes, before Koscielny added a second to set up a grandstand finish with just four minutes remaining.
It was a good win and the players were rightly proud, but it counted for absolutely nothing as Bayern dusted themselves down to win the Treble that season.
Monaco 0 Arsenal 2 (Agg 3-3), Champions League last-16 — 2014-15
IN THEIR ‘Gap Year’, Arsenal had only managed a draw in Munich after losing 2-0 at home to bow out at their habitual elimination stage.
However, this time — it was it. Despite finishing second, they had been drawn against much more favourable opposition in Monaco.
But, no. Dimitar Berbatov led the fight as the Ligue 1 side took a 2-0 lead before cancelling out Arsenal’s goal four minutes into stoppage time to take a commanding lead to the Stade Louis II.
You know the script now.
Giroud opened the scoring — it’s more or less the same players at this point — before Aaron Ramsey added a pointless second.
Olympiakos 0 Arsenal 3, Champions League group stage — 2015-16
A SHOCK home defeat to the Greek side meant only victory by two clear goals in Athens in the final game would see the Gunners qualify from the group.
Arsenal were on the brink of a first group stage elimination in 16 years after three defeats in their first five matches.
However, Giroud netted a hat-trick as the Gunners smashed the Greek side to make it through to the next stage.
It was a truly inspiring night, but it was worth second place — and that meant a clash with Barcelona in the last-16.
And that meant inevitable elimination.
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Arsenal 2 Leicester 1, Premier League — 2015-16
REMARKABLY, this was a top-of-the-table six-pointer.
And Leicester, who were in first place, took a first-half lead through Jamie Vardy’s penalty.
However, Arsenal took advantage of Danny Simpson’s red card to turn the screw and equalised through Theo Walcott, before the returning Danny Welbeck secured a sensational victory with virtually the last kick of the game
Cue bedlam in the stands. Fans celebrated with stewards. They knew what it meant. This was a title-defining victory.
Except it wasn’t. Arsenal lost their next two matches, before drawing at Tottenham, to slip out of a championship race which didn’t include United, Chelsea or even Manchester City, in early March.
MY VIEW: Disgruntled Arsenal fan Daniel Cutts
BEING an Arsenal fan isn’t always easy, especially when you went to six or the seven pointless Arsenal wins.
It’s the hope that kills you, and it feels like we’re always the bridesmaid and never the bride.
We’re the nearly men. There could have been more on this list, but these will do for one day’s worth of humiliation.
Others might not agree, but the 2-0 win in Monaco was the worst I attended…
It was Monaco, a fairly average side at the time, who hammered us in the first leg.
Here’s to many more years of failure at the top…
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