Arsenal’s worse defeats under Arsene Wenger
Yesterday’s Champions League 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich has been described by the team’s manager Arsene Wenger as ‘nightmare’.
However, we’ve picked out some of the club’s most damaging defeats under Wenger’s reign – from upsets against weaker opposition to heavy humiliations at the hands of rivals.
Below are some of Arsenal’s embarrassing defeats;
Man Utd 8-2 Arsenal – PL, 2011, Manchester United handed Arsenal their heaviest defeat since 1896 with this Premier League drubbing in 2011. A Robin van Persie missed penalty and Carl Jenkinson red card added to the misery.
Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal – PL, 2014, Wenger’s 1,000th game in charge turned into a humiliation, as Jose Mourinho extended his 11-game unbeaten run against the Frenchman, Arsenal suffered their heaviest defeat to Chelsea in 107 years and Kieran Gibbs was sent off instead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Man Utd 6-1 Arsenal – PL, 2001, Manchester United blasted Arsenal away with a brilliant first-half performance in 2001. Dwight Yorke bagged a hat-trick and the visitors were 5-1 down at the break.
Tottenham 5-1 Arsenal – Lg Cup, 2008, Arsenal suffered their first defeat to Tottenham in nine years in emphatic fashion in the second leg of their 2008 League Cup semi-final. Spurs ran riot, and left Gunners team-mates Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner arguing.
Arsenal 1-2 Birmingham – Lg Cup final, 2011, Arsenal suffered a shock League Cup final defeat in the cruelest fashion, when a mix up between Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny allowed Obafemi Martins to score the last-gasp winner.
AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal – CL last-16, 2012, Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals were left in tatters by this San Siro thrashing. Goals from Robinho (2), Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kevin-Prince Boateng put the tie beyond the Gunners reach – despite a stirring 3-0 second-leg win.
Man City 6-3 Arsenal – PL, 2013, Premier League leaders Arsenal were put to the sword at the Etihad Stadium by Manuel Pellegrini’s Man City in December 2013.
Arsenal 2-3 Tottenham – PL, 2010, Arsenal threw away a 2-0 lead to suffer their first loss at home to arch rivals Tottenham in 17 years in 2010. Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Younes Kaboul scored in the remarkable comeback.
Arsenal 0-1 Blackburn – FA Cup, 2013, Arsenal crashed out at the quarter-finals stage of the FA Cup to Championship Blackburn in 2013, suffering their first defeat to lower league opponents in the competition under Wenger.
Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal – CL group stage, 2015, Arsenal were thrashed in this key group game, which left their qualification hopes out of their hands. They were 3-0 down at half-time and went on to suffer a record-equaling European defeat.
Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal – PL, 2014, Arsenal were 4-0 down inside 19 minutes at Anfield in February 2014. Braces from Martin Skrtel and Raheem Sterling plus a Daniel Sturridge strike hammered the Premier League leaders.
Arsenal 1-3 Monaco – CL, 2015, Arsenal were handed a favourable draw in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2015 but a 3-1 first-leg defeat to Monaco led to another early exit. Monaco’s third away goal – on the counter, as Arsenal pressed for an equaliser – proved decisive.
Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal – CL last 16, 2017. For the second season in a row, Arsenal lose by the same heavy scoreline in Munich. Three second-half goals in the space of 10 minutes leave them on the brink of a seventh-straight last-16 exit.
