Arsenal take on FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League this week, looking to reach the competition’s quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years.
The Gunners have impressed since returning to the Champions League this season, emphatically topping their group to reach the knockout rounds. Mikel Arteta’s team now face a familiar obstacle, however, as the north Londoners look to end a poor recent record at this stage of the competition.
Arsenal have been eliminated in each of their last seven Champions League campaigns in the last 16, a wretched run the club will hope to end against Porto.
Here, we remember Arsenal’s seven straight last-16 exits.
Arsenal 3-4 Barcelona – 2010/11
An exit that still rankles with the Arsenal supporters, who saw their side fall victim to a controversial referee call in Catalonia.
Jack Wilshere starred in the first meeting as the north Londoners took a 2-1 lead, after goals from Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin earned Arsenal a comeback win at the Emirates.
The second leg was poised at 1-1, after a Sergio Busquets own goal cancelled out Lionel Messi’s opener, before Arsenal had Van Persie sent off.
The Dutch forward was dismissed for a second yellow card for shooting at goal just after the referee’s whistle had gone, despite protesting that he could not hear the whistle.
Barcelona soon made their man advantage count to progress 4-3 on aggregate, as goals from Xavi and a Messi penalty earned the hosts a second-leg win.
Iconic Performances: A teenage Wilshere takes on Barcelona’s midfield masters
AC Milan 4-3 Arsenal – 2011/12
Arsenal gave themselves a mountain to climb in their 2011/12 last-16 tie with AC Milan, after suffering a heavy first-leg defeat.
Robinho scored twice as Milan thrashed Arsenal 4-0 in the first leg at the San Siro, with Kevin-Price Boateng and Zlatan Ibrahimovic also on target.
Arsenal produced a stirring second-half performance but were unable to complete a comeback, despite racing into a three-goal lead inside the opening 45 minutes of the return.
Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky and Robin van Persie all scored before half-time at the Emirates, but a fourth to level the tie proved elusive.
Arsenal 3-3 Bayern Munich – 2012/13
Arsenal again left themselves with too much to do the following season, after a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in north London left them facing a near impossible task to progress.
The Gunners were well beaten at the Emirates, with goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller putting the Germans in control. Lukas Podolski pulled one back for Arsenal against his former side, but Mario Mandzukic’s goal restored Bayern’s two-goal cushion and underlined their status as one of the Champions League favourites.
Olivier Giroud’s early goal brought Arsenal back into the tie in the return and a late Laurent Koscielny header set up a frantic finish. However, the Gunners failed to find a third and Bayern – who went on to claim a treble under Jupp Heynckes – progressed via away goals.
Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich – 2013/14
Bayern Munich again eliminated Arsenal at the last-16 stage in 2013/14.
Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller were on the scoresheet as Bayern beat 10-man Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates in the first leg, after Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off for bringing down Arjen Robben.
Arsenal battled to a 1-1 draw in the return, though the damage was done from a first-leg loss in London.
Arsenal 3-3 AS Monaco – 2014/15
Arsene Wenger suffered a devastating European exit against his old side as Arsenal crashed out on away goals to AS Monaco in 2014/15.
The north Londoners suffered a shock loss at home in the first leg, as goals from Geoffrey Kondogbia and Dimitar Berbatov saw Monaco establish a two-goal lead.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looked to have given the Gunners a lifeline in stoppage time, but slack defending saw Yannick Carrasco add a third for Monaco on the counter moments later.
💥 #OnThisDay in 2015, we went to London and beat @Arsenal 3️⃣-1️⃣ in the @ChampionsLeague 💪
⚽️ Kondogbia
⚽️ Berbatov
⚽️ @CarrascoY21 #UCL #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/bdMkGo20z8— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) February 25, 2019
Arsenal won 2-0 in the return, as goals from Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey earned a win at the Stade Louis II, but exited Europe on away goals once again.
Arsenal 1-5 Barcelona – 2015/16
Barcelona eased into the last-16 in 2015/16, with the defending European champions securing a 5-1 aggregate win.
Lionel Messi’s brace saw Barcelona take control of the tie at the Emirates before the club’s ‘MSN’ forward line of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all found the target in the return. Mohamed Elneny’s effort at the Camp Nou was little consolation for the Gunners.
Bayern Munich 10-2 Arsenal – 2016/17
A familiar foe humiliated Arsenal over two legs in 2016/17, as Bayern Munich thrashed the north Londoners 5-1 in each leg.
Bayern had finished as runners-up in the group stage to Atletico Madrid but proved too good for the Gunners with a ruthless two-legged performance.
Thiago Alcantara was on target twice in the first leg, with further goals from Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski, and Thomas Muller earning an emphatic win.
🔴 Bayern hit Arsenal for 5 #OTD in 2017 🔥#UCL pic.twitter.com/iU7RLvDyhV
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 7, 2023
Arsenal led at half-time in the return leg with Bayern appearing to have taken their foot off the gas, only to score FIVE second-half goals after Laurent Koscielny’s red card for the home side.
The 10-2 aggregate defeat was the worst an English side has ever suffered in the Champions League, while it was Arsenal’s biggest loss on home soil since a 5-0 League Cup defeat to Chelsea in November 1998.
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