Wenger slams Arsenal defending after Bayern rout

Arsene Wenger offered a scathing assessment of Arsenal’s defending in the humbling 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The Premier League team bounced back from Group F defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos to secure a rousing 2-0 victory over Bayern at Emirates Stadium two weeks ago – a result that was emphatically avenged by the Bundesliga champions.

Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 10th minute and, after Mesut Ozil had a goal disallowed for handball, Thomas Muller made it 2-0 before the half-hour mark.

Full-back David Alaba scored a stunning third and laid on the fourth for substitute Arjen Robben either side of half-time, with Muller grabbing his second in the final minute after Olivier Giroud netted a classy consolation.

Injuries deprived Wenger of right-back Hector Bellerin and centre-back Laurent Koscielny, but the manager had little sympathy for the players that took to the field in their absence at the Allianz Arena.

“You have to give credit to Bayern for their quality, but we made things easy for them,” said the Frenchman.

“We were extremely poor defensively – not at the races.

“Defensively, I did not recognise my team.”

Arsenal must win both remaining group matches to stand any chance of progressing to the knockout rounds, but Wenger is not giving up hope entirely.

“There is still a chance to qualify,” he added. “It’s a small chance, but there is still a real one.”