After drawing 2-2 in the first leg at the Emirates last week, the Bavarians recovered from their domestic setback to win 1-0 and send Arsenal out of the competition for the fifth time. It was a gallant performance from Bayern, which showed that it retains the muscle memory of its six UCL triumphs.

Tuchel’s men dictated the pace early in the match, with Harry Kane, Leroy Sane, Noussair Mazraoui and Jamal Musiala forcing Arsenal’s defense to struggle on several occasions. The visitors, as they did in the first leg, gradually began to dominate possession of the ball , with Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz shooting from the boundary . Gabriel Martinelli therefore had the best chance of the first half, but was unable to redirect his first-time shot to the far corner and ended up shooting straight at Manuel Neuer.

Although there wasn’t much to choose between the two teams in the first half, Bayern increased the pressure immediately after the break , when Leon Goretzka’s header hit the post and Raphael Guerreiro’s rebound hit the post. The hosts continued to mount quick attacks and were rewarded just after the hour mark when Joshua Kimmich’s thunderous header opened the scoring.

Despite being in the lead, Bayern did not close the doors and created a few more opportunities through Sané and Musiala. Arsenal finished the game without having a single clear chance as Bayern set up a semi-final meeting with Real Madrid. The villa ‘s owners ended up with more ball possession (51.4 to 48.6), more corners (8 to 3) and more shots on goal (15 to 8).

Feeling of déjà vu

For Arsenal, there would have been a sense of déjà vu as a fourth successive trophyless season appears imminent. They were top of the Premier League standings, but a route to Aston Villa three days earlier allowed Manchester City to take top spot. Not only will Arteta and co have tougher games in the final weeks of the season, but City will also have more virility now that they too have been knocked out of the Champions League.

However, what disappointed Arsenal fans most was their players’ lack of fight against Bayern. They lost momentum in the final stretch of last season and this time too there are signs of a similar kind of fatigue.

With Bayern showing incredible discipline and maturity in their game, the Gunners needed a moment of individual brilliance to break through . Like in 2008, when Cesc Fabregas opened the scoring against AC Milan, at San Siro, with an excellent shot from 30 meters. Or in 2006, when Thierry Henry had that fantastic campaign against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. This Arsenal team, however, was not close to producing such a moment.

“It wasn’t enough, it’s true, to achieve the magical moment that is needed in this competition,” said Arteta after the game. “To unlock it, to make a little something happen when the game requires us to open that door. We didn’t have it and that’s why we’re out.”

To be fair, Arsenal have a young squad and deserve credit for the results they have produced in recent seasons. And, as Arteta suggested, it could take years for them to truly match the best teams in the world. But for them to maintain this upward trajectory, it will be essential to learn from the lessons they receive, like the one Bayern taught.