If history repeats itself once as tragedy and then as farce, how do you describe Arsenal’s latest humiliation at the feet of Bayern Munich? A comedy? A cliche? A joke that’s no longer funny?

They were beaten 5-1 in the Allianz Arena for the second successive trip here, but elements of this were worse than that thrashing of November of 2015. For one, there's the fact Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern are noticeably not as good as Pep Guardiola's, and yet they could seemingly switch off for a good stretch of the game, but still give Arsenal such a good beating.

It was as if they just knew, no matter what was going to happen, that they would get the same result they always do against this comically fragile side: easily cruising past them.

Arsene Wenger says players were 'mentally jaded' in Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich

It is damning, really. These two clubs have similar resources, and are both notional “super clubs”, but Bayern so often prove themselves superior. There can’t be two such sides that have met so often in such a short space of time to see no deviation in terms of what happens. They have been drawn together four times in five years, and Bayern are now certain to finish on top four times.

On this lamentable showing, it is increasingly difficult to blame Alexis Sanchez for wanting out. He was the only Arsenal player to come out of the night with a bit of credit, and did look to actually try and affect the game in a positive way. Everything else for Wenger was oh so negative.

Bayern had started looking like the champions elect they profess to me. There was almost a casualness to the way they were toying with Arsenal, moving their defensive shape around at will with the way they moved the ball around.

Arjen Robben put the hosts ahead with a splendid strike from range in the opening exchanges (Getty)

Wenger’s players initially seemed petrified in the face of that kind of finesse, and Bayern were too easily finding space in behind Francis Coquelin and Granit Xhaka. At that point, it all seemed so predictable, as appeared to be proved when Arjen Robben did the most predictable thing possible. He cut inside onto his left foot and scored.

Robben has done that so many times, and perfected it to such an extent, that you could forgive most teams for conceding it. It so often feels a case of ‘you know exactly what’s coming, but can’t do anything about it’. Arsenal should surely have at least tried to do something here. Instead, Robben so easily skipped past Coquelin.

This was a further problem. Bayern were still creating so many chances, with Robert Lewandowski having three alone in the first half, despite Arsenal sitting back so deep. That space shouldn’t have been allowed given how far back they were falling, rendering the whole exercise useless.

Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Manuel Neuer – 6 out of 10 Lucky not to be punished when he spilled Ozil’s first-half free-kick. Got down well to Sanchez’s penalty, perhaps should have stopped the rebound. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Philip Lahm – 7 out of 10 Weighted the cross for Lewandowski’s goal perfectly. Will miss the second leg after picking up a booking. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Javi Martinez – 7 out of 10 Looked uneasy when Arsenal’s forwards could run at him before the break, but was protected by his team’s dominance of possession afterwards. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Mats Hummels – 8 out of 10 Assured at the centre of Bayern’s defence, but in truth was rarely troubled. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings David Alaba – 7 out of 10 Took a while to ease himself into the game but won his battle with Bellerin decisively. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Xabi Alonso – 7 out of 10 Failed to exert his usual influence in the first half, and should have done better to stop Sanchez’s effort, but was instrumental once Bayern started to move through the gears. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Arturo Vidal – 6 out of 10 A quieter influence on the game than his Bayern team-mates, but had little to contend with in the middle of the park. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Arjen Robben – 9 out of 10 His simply stunning strike in the opening exchanges set the tone for the evening. A reminder why he has been one of the continent’s best over the past decade. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Thiago – 8 out of 10 An excellent display was capped off with two sweet goals. Eased the ball past Ospina for Bayern’s third, slightly fortunate for his second. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Douglas Costa – 5 out of 10 Bayern’s only real disappointment of the night, he failed to fizz and crackle like the rest of their forward talents. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Robert Lewandowski – 8 out of 10 Somewhat unlucky to concede the penalty, but atoned with a magnificent header to put his side back in front. His assist for Thiago was even better. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings David Ospina – 6 out of 10 Improved after a nervy start, and despite conceding five, stopped Bayern on several occasions. Produced one brilliant save to deny Martinez. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Hector Bellerin – 4 out of 10 Still looking bang out-of-sorts, the young Spaniard offered none of the invention and threat we have come to expect. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Shkodran Mustafi – 5 out of 10 No contest for Lewandowski, who used him as a climbing frame for Bayern’s second. Looked more comfortable with Koscielny as a partner. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Laurent Koscielny - 7 out of 10 Looked excellent early on and did well to win the penalty. His departure through injury at the start of the second half was the harbinger of Arsenal’s collapse. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Kieran Gibbs – 4 out of 10 Left-back continues to prove a problem area for Arsenal. Robben had it all his own way. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Francis Coquelin – 4 out of 10 Elected to stand off Robben rather than get tight, allowing the opening goal to fly past him. Recovered, but utterly over-ran by Bayern’s midfield after the break. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Granit Xhaka – 5 out of 10 Forced Neuer into action with a well-taken first-time shot from the edge of the box in the first half. It was his only real moment of note. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Alex Iwobi – 4 out of 10 A quiet night for the youngster. Substituted after Bayern’s fourth goal, replaced by Theo Walcott. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Mesut Ozil – 5 out of 10 Missing in action, once again. Could have punished Bayern when he broke in behind in the closing stages of the first half but ran down a blind alley. Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 4 out of 10 Failed to justify his surprise selection on the left-flank, rarely troubling Lahm. Getty Bayern 5 Arsenal 1 player ratings Alexis Sanchez – 7 out of 10 Kept running into brick walls until the penalty. His initial effort was poor but showed composure to guide the ball home at the third time of asking.

Sanchez certainly felt so. Right through that first 25 minutes, he was wildly gesticulating for Arsenal to play much higher up the pitch. His teammates weren’t doing that, though, so he decided to do it himself.

On 25 minutes, he took the ball just inside the Bayern half and decided to just run at them. It brought a desperate attempt at a tackle from an exposed Mats Hummels - and also brought Arsenal back into the game. Something definitely changed with that moment. Bayern suddenly went from slick to slack, Arsenal from timid to feeling this was on.

It certainly looked on when Lewnadowski somewhat unluckily caught Laurent Koscielny for what was still a penalty. Sanchez may have had his spot kick saved, but it felt like the kind of night where he wasn’t going to be denied, as perfectly displayed by how he spun on the ball to brilliantly put the rebound past an irate Manuel Neuer.

Alexis Sanchez's strike sent Arsenal into the break with the score level (Getty)

The German was screaming at his defenders again when he had to get down for what probably should have been a goal from Granit Xhaka, the Swiss midfielder clearly looking to make amends after a talking-to from Wenger for repeatedly getting caught out of position.

He and Arsenal were suddenly looking in a much better position. It seemed, however, that this was to be a game of conspicuous momentum-turning moments. Shortly after half-time, Koscielny went off injured and Arsenal seemed to lose all their assurance along with their captain.

Bayern sensed blood, and went for it. It once again seemed rather predictable, especially when you keep allowing Lewandowski free headers in the box. Arsenal felt the full force of that with his fourth attempt of the game, as he powered a Robben cross past David Ospina on 53 minutes.

Thiago scored twice in quick succession to take the tie away from Arsenal (Getty)

The Polish striker more than had his groove back, as he so gloriously showed just three minutes later with a divine first-touch flick to leave Thiago one-on-one with Ospina for a Bayern third.

They were back to toying with Arsenal, but also terrorising as they kept pounding the Chilean’s goal. Lewandowski could have had another two in a frenzied spell, rising above the chaos to try and delicately lift the ball into the net after taking Ospina out wide, only to hit the bar.

Bayern had already raised the bar, though.

With Ospina having to make save after save, and the ball relentlessly coming back at him, it was only a matter of time until the dam burst again. The manner of that inevitable fourth from Thiago was somewhat unlucky for the goalkeeper given the deflection it took, but that’s the kind of thing that happens when the ball is allowed pinball around your box.

Arsene Wenger's side need a miracle if they are to make the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010 (Getty)

What was even worse than the score was the manner of things by that point. There were 117 minutes left of the tie, against a Bayern side so clearly vulnerable to pace on the counter, but there was no pace about Arsenal. They looked like a properly beaten team, as was made even clearer when substitute Thomas Muller powered in the fifth.

The game was up and, after temporary respite due to the weekend win over Hull City, it will raise more questions over whether Wenger’s time should be up too. It is his dream to win the Champions League but that looks an utter fantasy. Arsenal have never been so far away.