Linchpin: Arsenal falls apart after Koscielny injury

After falling behind early, Arsenal fans had every reason to dream about leaving Germany with a positive result when Alexis Sanchez made it 1-1 at the half-hour mark.

It was all downhill after halftime, however, as Laurent Koscielny triggered a defensive collapse when he was forced to leave the tie through injury.

A Robert Lewandowski goal and Thiago Alcantara brace later, Arsenal found itself facing elimination with over 25 minutes to go in the first leg of the Round of 16 encounter as Bayern enjoyed a 4-1 advantage.

Thomas Muller added the cherry on top with Bayern's fifth in the 90th minute.

The Twitter world was predictably quick to pounce on Arsenal like a lion stumbling across a carcass, though many made the point that the downturn started when the influential French captain left the contest.