1 ARSENAL’S LAST 16 CURSE
The Gunners are back in the knockout phase of the Champions League for the first time in ages (2016-17 to be precise), which usually means one thing: humiliation over two legs.
In their most recent showing seven years ago, Arsene Wenger’s men were blitzed 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich – the latest in a run of seven straight last 16 eliminations to Bayern, Barcelona, Milan and even Monaco in 2014-15, with the Bavarians responsible for three separate strudelings. Grim stat: the Gunners lost those seven ties at a combined scoreline of 32-16.
But there’s hope: unlike five of those seven campaigns, Mikel Arteta’s side won their group this season to set up a meeting with (the slightly less scary) Porto. Moreover, unlike the late-era Wenger outfits, this crop
