Bayern Munich ripped Arsenal to shreds in a stunning ten minute period in the second half, claiming a convincing 5-1 win to all but confirm their place in the Quarter-Finals of this season's UEFA Champions League.
Goals from Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski, Thiago and Thomas Muller dwarfed Alexis Sanchez' first half goal, as Arsenal need to score four with no Bayern reply at the Emirates Stadium next month to have any chance of progression. On the basis of tonight's showing, that seems as likely as hell freezing over.
Whilst Bayern may not have found their finest flow this season in Carlo Ancelotti's debut season in Bavaria, the Italian opted for two changes from their 2-0 away win over Ingolstadt on the weekend, with Douglas Costa and Robben coming in for Joshua Kimmich and Muller - the latter enduring his most trying campaign to date.
As for Arsenal, Arsene Wenger's faith in David Ospina has been well documented this week, the Frenchman saying that the Gunners would not be in the Last 16 without his help. His reintroduction meant that Petr Cech dropped to the bench. In the other change from the controversy riddled victory over Hull City on Saturday, Theo Walcott made way for Granit Xhaka - his first appearance since his sending off against Burnley at the back end of last month.
The last time Arsenal visited the home of the record German champions for the first leg of a Last 16 tie, Bayern came away convincing 3-1 winners in 2005, with Claudio Pizarro and Hasan Salihamidzic all but ending the contest at its halfway point.
Early warning signs for Arsenal
And for all the early exchanges, this looked to be heading the same way, Arsenal sitting very deep, Bayern irrepressible. Arturo Vidal powered his way past Francis Coquelin before firing a low shot that Ospina did well to hold. Yet, their dominance was rewarded after just 11 minutes; Robben - a long time foe for Arsenal due to his time at Chelsea around a decade ago - was criminally allowed space and time to cut inside and made the visitors pay a hefty price, wrapping his favoured left foot round the ball, caressing it into the top corner in a move Europe's defences have fallen victim to tens of times before. Neither Ospina or Cech would've stood a chance, even if Wenger had bent the rules and put both of them in goal.
Moments later, Robben was allowed to repeat the trick, but failed to get the desired contact on the shot, Ospina gathering easily. However, the goal sparked Arsenal into life, as the away side looked dangerous on the counter attack, led by the mercurial Sanchez and the reinvigorated Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. It was a break by Sanchez that helped create Arsenal's first chance, as he drew contact from Mats Hummels close to the Bayern box. Mesut Ozil, making a return to his native Germany forced Manuel Neuer into a save from the resulting free-kick, and although the German couldn't hold the initial effort, any resulting rebounds were rendered useless due to an offside flag.
Just two minutes later, having built up a head of steam, Arsenal found a lifeline and a passage back into the tie. Whilst trying to clear a corner, Lewandowski was slow to react to Laurent Koscielny nicking the ball off of his toe, swinging wildly and catching the Frenchman. Milorad Mazic showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot. After a delay, due to several Bayern complaints (Lewandowski leading the charge), Sanchez stepped up. But, his woeful penalty was easily stopped by Neuer. Fortuitously, the Chilean had two more bites of the cherry, finding the far corner on the last attempt. An away goal for Arsenal, and how they looked up for the fight in the wake of it.
Although, they had to survive another scare before they could exert more pressure on Ancelotti's side, David Alaba doing well to break down the left, whipping a superb cross in that Lewandowski squandered with his head. In the five minutes before half-time, the Gunners had two golden chances to take a surprise lead, despite having just 27% of the ball at the time of their goal. Ozil robbed Thiago near the centre circle before striding forward, laying the ball off to Sanchez. The forward picked out the diagonal run of Oxlade-Chamberlain who sent an inviting ball back to Xhaka on the edge of the box, but his well-struck half-volley was blocked by Neuer.
The German had more work to do in time added on, Oxlade-Chamberlain again at the heart of it, sliding a ball through to Ozil, but the Bayern shot-stopper was alert to make the save. At the break, Arsenal had plenty to take heart from. All that soon disappeared.
Ten minutes
Despite Arsenal holding the ball well for the first few moments of the second period, a fired up Bayern all but ended the tie in ten devastating minutes, started by Koscielny limping off with a suspected hamstring injury. The retiring Philipp Lahm showed no signs of slowing down all night, floating a wonderful cross in towards the head of Lewandowski who towered above Shkodran Mustafi, atoning for his previous wrongdoings with a well guided header that Ospina couldn't quite reach. It was the Polish striker's 23rd goal of the season in just 30 games.
Just three minutes later, Lewandowski was the centre of attention once more, sumptuously flicking Xabi Alonso's pass round Gabriel into the path of the advancing Thiago, who made no mistake with his finish.
The Spaniard put in a virtuoso performance, making the ease of which Barcelona let him leave all the more baffling. Six minutes later, he doubled his night's tally and added a fourth for Bayern; not before Ospina denied Javi Martinez with an astounding point-blank save. From the consequential corner, the ball fell to Thiago and he received a small slice of luck as his volley nicked off of Xhaka and evaded Ospina's outstretched right boot.
The scoreline was becoming more and more embarrassing for Arsenal, and harsher on the Colombian, who put in another stellar display in Europe. That says a lot about the ten outfield players ahead of him.
And we mustn't look past a typically efficient Bayern display, simple passing the key to success, a slower build up style - contrary to the breakneck speed that Pep Guardiola had the Allianz Arena crowd drooling over for three years. It only prolonged the pain for Arsenal as they chased shadows.
Vidal called Ospina into action again, but was foiled once more - his dipping long-range effort well parried. The party tricks were coming out, Douglas Costa (aware of his imminent substitution) toyed with both fullbacks as he wandered across to the side that the bench was situated. He tried his luck as well, feinting inside makeshift captain Kieran Gibbs and ripping a fierce shot towards the far post. Again, Ospina was the match of it.
That wasn't the end though. With two minutes of normal time remaining, Bayern added a fifth. Entrants Kimmich and Muller were the protagonists, the young, versatile midfielder setting up the latter. Muller made no mistake with the finish on his left foot.
Battered, bruised and virtually shunted out of Europe before the return leg. Suddenly, a repeat of that 3-1 12 years ago wouldn't have seemed that bad.