3 reasons Arsenal was bounced in Round of 16 ... again

Once again, the Arsenal squad will enjoy some family time around Easter.

For the seventh straight Champions League campaign, the Gunners' adventure ended in the Round of 16. Bayern Munich's 5-1 triumph Tuesday finished off a 10-2 two-legged banishment of Arsene Wenger's belatedly spirited and - after Laurent Koscielny's contentious dismissal - sorely depleted ranks.

Now, instead of glittering quarter-final dates either side of Easter weekend, that holiday Monday his side will face a rather unglamorous domestic trip to Middlesbrough.

This season there was hope that - at last - progression into the last eight stage could be secured after an impressive top-place standing in Group A above Paris Saint-Germain. However, while Les Parisiens near an impressive elimination of Barcelona from the tournament, Arsenal's hopes were dashed three weeks ago in Bavaria when Bayern battered it by a 5-1 scoreline at the Allianz Arena.

Round of 16 eliminations:

Considering Arsenal's performance in the Premier League ahead of the Bayern bout - a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool left it two points adrift of the coveted top four - Wenger's future was already up in the air, but the straight-forward nature of the European departure has the Emirates Stadium door being pried open by more than just barking fools on Arsenal Fan TV.

Here's why Arsenal will be watching the quarter-final bouts on television again:

Indiscipline

Wenger has tried his best to rubbish reports that there was a training ground bust-up involving Alexis Sanchez, but the initial source of the story - The Mirror's John Cross - and the rather staged-looking handshake afterwards suggest otherwise.

But whether the Chilean is on his way in the summer or not, this latest flashpoint is a key example of Wenger failing to control his talented legion.

If Sanchez did walk out on training and have a nasty confrontation with teammates, dropping him from the side is a requisite. However, from his half-time introduction at Liverpool on Saturday, when he almost turned a one-sided match in Arsenal's favour, and start against Bayern only served to boost the forward's supposed belief of his huge importance to the side.

His recent on-pitch strops and apparent Colney clash have ultimately gone unpunished.

Mesut Ozil's absence through an "illness" for that Liverpool test was clouded over by the Sanchez affair, and his slump-shouldered showings are further evidence that Wenger shirks out of punitive measures. The German was anonymous and bereft of fight in the first leg against Bayern, but played the full 90 minutes. In the second leg, the energy of Oxlade-Chamberlain in his spot was a revelation - or simply what should be expected from a No. 10.

Obvious tactics

Wenger's stubborn bond to a 4-2-3-1 setup has become more detrimental this term.

Rather then remold the shape after a spate of injuries, suspensions, and international absences, the Frenchman shoehorned winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into holding a midfield role against Chelsea and Hull City in the league. It worked fairly well, but shoring up in a different formation - perhaps a 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 - may have not resulted in the respective 3-1 and 5-1 losses to Chelsea and Bayern last month; the latter saw Oxlade-Chamberlain inexplicably shunted back to the wing at Theo Walcott's expense, and the 4-2-3-1 prevail.

If Ozil has to play, perhaps reviving his deeper, counter-attack instigating work from his Real Madrid days would pay dividends. He wouldn't get suffocated by the opposition's defensive midfielders - and if they tried to, they would be drawn out of position - and it would afford the likes of Sanchez and Walcott greater freedom in attack.

Still, in that approach, there's still a chance Ozil would be flanked by an improving Granit Xhaka but the hapless Francis Coquelin.

Personnel

Coquelin was woeful against Liverpool. A defensive midfielder with a lacking ability to tackle, read the game sufficiently, and an erraticness when he's under the cosh against a talented attacking midfielder. Or several, in Liverpool and Bayern Munich's case.

Thankfully he was ditched to the bench in Tuesday's reverse fixture, finally playing Aaron Ramsey where he should be - in the middle - rather than uncomfortably being shoved to the right flank as he so often is.

Questions also abound over the continued senior inclusion of Gabriel Paulista, who luckily remained on the bench for this test.

It's not just ability that's wanting. Highlighting the lack of leadership and winning mentality in Wenger's side has become cliched, but that in itself is damning. The side collapsed when Koscielny hobbled off in the Round of 16 first leg, and it turned into a blame game as Bayern ran rings around Arsenal's players. No one took ownership; no player was willing to perform even something as simple and old-hat as a full-blooded tackle or impassioned press of a goalkeeper to stir his peers into action.

When Hector Bellerin - the finest right-back in England and one that could seek new pastures if this season continues to follow a forlorn beat - bemoans a dearth of motivation for a Liverpool clash, it's clear the issues in north London are critical.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)