Champions League: Bayern Munich vs. the Mess That Is Arsenal
Gus Johnson called Manchester United vs. Real Madrid last week. Today is round two…There could be no better metaphor for Arsenal’s last eight seasons than this GIF of Arsene Wenger fumbling with his puffy coat zipper.
Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal
Two sustainable soccer business models. One furnishes a successful club. One lines the pockets of the clubs owners. Bayern Munich pay to keep established stars and supplement weaknesses. This season, rebounding from a Champions League Final loss, it has paid off. Bayern have won 18/22 in the Bundesliga, spotting themselves 15 points at the top after 22 matches. They have outscored opponents 57-7. More ridiculously, they are 10-0-1 away from home and have allowed just one goal. They are on pace to eclipse their best ever points total by 10. This team does not yet have the silverware, but it may be Bayern’s best ever team.
Arsenal sell established stars and replace them with kids and stopgaps. This season, they have hit their nadir under Arsene Wenger. The Gunners sit four points off the Champions League places, 21 points behind Manchester United (who fleeced them of Robin van Persie). They have won just three of 12 against top eight opponents and taken one point from five matches against the top three. That disappointment has been punctuated by losses to lower league teams (first ever under Wenger) in both domestic cups. The Champions League is their one remaining hope of ending the eight-year trophy drought. It is a faint one.
Rather than blaming their obvious deficiencies, Arsenal have called out malicious forces. Improvement seems perpetually around the corner. Once the promise was the “next generation” maturing. Now, after that generation was sold, it is financial fair play hamstringing everyone else. Arsenal’s excuse is they can’t compete with clubs owned by foreign billionaires. The club is owned by two foreign billionaires and has Europe’s fifth-largest yearly intake.
These clubs may be in different places, but this matchup is not that lopsided. Arsenal have dominated home legs in the knockout stage, with a 5-0-1 record and +13 goal margin since 2008. The trouble is they have been almost as bad on the road. One could see Arsenal mustering for a home win in the first leg, but their creaky defense can’t hold off a loaded Bayern for 180 minutes.
Porto vs. Malaga
The trans-Iberian undercard. Porto leads the Portuguese Liga on goal difference, outscoring opponents 47-9. They sold Brazilian striker Hulk to Zenit, inciting a manifesto from their racist Russian fans. But Colombian striker Jackson Martinez has been an able replacement, scoring 23 goals in 22 starts this season. Erratically-financed Malaga have offloaded $57 million worth of players, most notably Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal to Arsenal, without spending a euro. Somehow, though, they have found themselves in the knockout stages in the Champions League and sit fourth in La Liga.

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46 Responses to “Champions League: Bayern Munich vs. the Mess That Is Arsenal”
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February 19th, 2013 at 2:28 PM
Munich seems cool as shit. Has anybody ever been there?
February 19th, 2013 at 2:29 PM
A list of EPL teams that have won something since Arsenal last won and FA Cup in 2005 (not including promotion from lower leagues)
Chelsea
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
February 19th, 2013 at 2:29 PM
I may need to pipe down about La Liga’s lack of competitiveness.
Ty, does Bayern win a Champions League title under Pep? Simple yes or no question.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:29 PM
Bayern will choke like they always do.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:31 PM
Wenger using Chelsea’s run last year as ‘inspiration and hope’ for Arsenal’s CL campaign this year is hilarious and ridiculous
February 19th, 2013 at 2:32 PM
Birmingham (over Arsenal), Tottenham, Portsmouth
February 19th, 2013 at 2:32 PM
Awesome city. Americans usually head to southern Europe for vacation, but Munich and Berlin are must-visit cities if you are doing a European tour.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:32 PM
You forgot Tottenham. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut I’m sure that fact doesn’t bother Arsenal fans.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:33 PM
Birmangham not in EPL. Neither is Portsmoth…and what did spurs win?
February 19th, 2013 at 2:35 PM
2008 Carling Cup
February 19th, 2013 at 2:36 PM
If I’m not mistaken, they were in EPL when they won. But really that’s neither here nor there.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:37 PM
crazy. Love soccer but it’s a bit of joke only what…5 teams have won the league since the creation of the EPL.
A sure sign that money has destroyed that league more than anything here in NA
February 19th, 2013 at 2:40 PM
Ha, no.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:40 PM
Five teams have won it in the twenty seasons since the founding of the Premier League, seven teams won it the twenty years prior.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:42 PM
only 7? Holy crap. Talk about your haves and have nots!
People can hate on the Yankees all they want but sheeeeet, at least baseball fans can hang onto the hope their teams may actually win sometime.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:42 PM
Five teams have won it in the twenty seasons since the founding of the Premier League, seven teams won it the twenty years prior.
Let’s talk about what matters here. How have the ratings been affected?
February 19th, 2013 at 2:44 PM
They’ve lightened up.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:44 PM
Being a Bayern fan, I absolutely do not care about league titles. Yeah, obviously you want to be the best team in the country, but if you gave me a choice between let’s say 2 CL titles and no league title in 10 year period over 0 CL title and 8 league titles, I’d choose 2 CL titles all day everyday.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:49 PM
Same way for me as a Barca fan (though losing out to Madrid last year sucked more than I thought it would).
February 19th, 2013 at 2:51 PM
Bayern’s defense is going to struggle I don’t give a shit how many goals they’ve not given up this season, Arsenal are still better in attack than any Bundesliga competition.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:52 PM
Then again it might not matter…
February 19th, 2013 at 2:54 PM
Wenger seems to love those puffy coats. The second it drops below 50 degrees he starts wearing them.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:55 PM
That’s probably game.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:58 PM
Kroos is just the perfectly developed player. Pep is going to inherit an incredible young setup and get all the credit for it again.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:59 PM
Haha Malaga’s keeper is just named “Willy”
February 19th, 2013 at 3:00 PM
Been there twice. Just a great place to visit.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:01 PM
Duffy let’s say that Arsenal and Arsene end up parting ways this summer. Who do you want in replacing him, realistically?
Moyes?
February 19th, 2013 at 3:02 PM
i dont know if yall saw it, but there was an epic footy played a fortnight ago, birmingham regal ltd vs. northamptonshiresquire. ended up nil nil, with barriaga IVIV taking home the densmore memorial trophy.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:04 PM
It cannot be understated how important to Manchester City it is that they had to get Javi Garcia instead of Javi Martinez. It’s like instead of getting a Ferrari you get a Daewoo.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:06 PM
Well that is definitely game.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:06 PM
Whomp whomp.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:07 PM
Um, yeah. It’s over.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:13 PM
First row sports dot eu, or other streaming sites are so useful for soccer. All these good games mid day, mid work week… I would never be able to watch. Thank you internet.
Now, for round 2 of RM v MU at old trafford… that will necessitate an afternoon off to watch it in it’s full hd glory on at least 60 inches.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:33 PM
Those sites really make not spending $60+ extra a month on cable a much easier decision.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:48 PM
Moyes is entering a pressure cooker like he’s never seen if he comes to Arsenal. Everton fans are just happy to get to Europe. Arsenal fans (me) are grumbling if they aren’t winning trophies.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:57 PM
Brilliant defending, Germans.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Brilliant defending, Germans.
Little busy yelling at the refs. That was a horrible call, no reason Arsenal should have still had the ball.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Everton are sitting right behind Arsenal in league titles won, their fans are actually quite demanding. They’ve just had a flat broke owner for a while so haven’t been able to expect much.
Moyes has been one of the most consistent managers in England for a while, is as well respected in the game as anyone, and knows how to work with no money.
/all things I said about Hodgson, to be fair
February 19th, 2013 at 4:03 PM
Inspiringly poor second half from Bayern, yikes.
February 19th, 2013 at 4:05 PM
Robben coming on to facilitate another Bayern collapse!
February 19th, 2013 at 4:08 PM
Wow Robben, way to be aware of the offsides and ruin a potential 1v1. Rare form.
February 19th, 2013 at 4:13 PM
Don’t know if you listen to Men In Blazers podcast, Cowboy, but their nickname for Robben as the “Dodgy Flapper” is just spot on. Still one of my fav former Chelsea players, but he’s absolutely maddening.
February 19th, 2013 at 4:14 PM
Yeah that is dead on. I mean the ball was late but yeesh, pull yourself back a bit.
No way in hell is he on this team next year.
February 19th, 2013 at 4:19 PM
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
February 19th, 2013 at 4:20 PM
Not a chance. I’m hope that he’s brushing up on his Turkish
February 19th, 2013 at 4:28 PM
Is Robben the guy from the Netherlands that early in his career flicked off his own coach after he scored as an FU for not playing him earlier?