Arsenal’s nine worst Champions League defeats include embarrassing showings against Bayern Munich, Inter, Milan, Monaco and even Spartak Moscow
Nobody does defeats in Europe quite like the Gunners — and we narrow it down to look at pound-for-pound lowest moments
JUST one more Champions League embarrassment to add to the catalogue for Gunners.
While many Arsenal fans were hopeful after being drawn against Bayern Munich in the last 16, few were that surprised to see their side so heavily beaten.
Embarrassing defeats and early exits are as commonplace as a Premier League finish anywhere between second and fourth.
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Under Arsene Wenger, they have made it through the group stage in every season since 2001 — but only won a total of eight knock-out ties in those 17 years.
With much to choose from, we’ve picked Arsenal’s nine most embarrassing Champions League losses.
Spartak Moscow 4 Arsenal 1 — second group stage, 2000-01
AFTER consecutive group stage exits, it was third time lucky for Arsenal.
And they even made it through the second phase — but only after a hammering.
The Russian side, who would finish bottom, came from behind to hammer the Gunners with three second-half goals.
Arsenal 0 Inter Milan 3 — group stage, 2003-04
IN the Premier League no one could beat Arsenal that season — but it was a different story in Europe.
Julio Cruz, Andy van der Meyde and Obafemi Martins put Inter three-up before half-time in a Highbury mauling.
However, Arsenal recovered to top the group and even win a knock-out match for the first time — against Celta Vigo.
Braga 2 Arsenal 0 — group stage, 2010-11
THIS is your typical Arsenal away group game which they don’t take seriously and costs them top place every single season.
The fact that Andrey Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh and Carlos Vela were on the score sheet in an opening day 6-0 win shows the level of the opposition.
But in their second meeting, Braga netted twice in the final seven minutes and Arsenal finished behind Shakhtar Donetsk — who drew Roma — and faced a last-16 tie with Barcelona.
Milan 4 Arsenal 0 — last-16, 2011-12
SEASON two of Arsenal’s consecutive last-16 elimination run.
It was Barcelona a year earlier and, until now, this was the Gunners’ heaviest defeat.
Goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as well as a Robinho double put this tie to bed, although Arsenal did produce a typically heroic, but pointless fightback to win the return 3-0.
Arsenal 1 Monaco 3 — last-16 2014-15
LOSING becomes a habit and, when it comes to Champions League last 16 defeats, nobody does it more spectacularly than Arsenal.
Finally, it appeared Wenger and Co had been given an easy tie — but goals from Geoffrey Kondogbia and Dimitar Berbatov either side of half-time put Monaco in control.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled a goal back in stoppage time, yet there was still time for further implosion as Yannick Carrasco netted a comical third.
Dinamo Zagreb 2 Arsenal 1 — group stage, 2015-16
LIKELY to be the worst team in Champions League history to have beaten Arsenal.
Josip Pivaric and Junior Fernandes put the Croats in control, before Theo Walcott pulled one back back and Olivier Giroud saw red.
Dinamo would earn no more points — and this season finished bottom of their group with no goals and a 100 per cent loss rate.
Arsenal 2 Olympiakos 3 — group stage, 2015-16
IT WENT from bad-to-worse as Arsenal looked intent on trying to bow out at the group stage for the first time in 16 years.
Arsenal twice came from behind before going down to an Alfred Finnbogason goal less than a minute after netting their second equaliser.
Wenger’s decision to replace Petr Cech with David Ospina backfired as the Colombian had a stinker.
Bayern Munich 5 Arsenal 1 — group stage, 2015-16
THEIR first win in the competition came against competition favourites, Bayern.
But it was a third group stage defeat when they met again.
Bayern were three-up at half time — and Thomas Muller finished off the scoring on 89 minutes.
Bayern Munich 5 Arsenal 1 — last-16 2016-17
AN ALEXIS SANCHEZ penalty just before half-time brought Arsenal level — and there was some hope of a different outcome.
But the Gunners just fell apart after half-time as Robert Lewandowski and Thiago Alcantara took in turns to score and, again Muller added a fifth just before the end.
It’s incredible how Arsenal never learn their lesson.