Arsene Wenger was at pains to explain his side’s capitulation at the hands of Bayern Munich as they face elimination for the seventh season in a row in the first round of the knockout phase.

READ: Bayern repeat 2015 heroics with 5-1 mauling

Alexis Sanchez levelled matters after Arjen Robben’s stunning opener, but a second-half rout left Arsenal fans in distress as they face an early exit from the Champions League.

‘It’s difficult to explain,’ Wenger told BT Sport after the match in a press conference which lasted just three minutes.

‘Just before half-time we had two good chances to score. We came back and played well.

‘In the second half we lost Koscielny very quickly – he came off at 1-1 – and finally we collapsed. Bayern are a better team than us as well.

‘I felt the third goal was a killer for our players, because after that we had no response.’

Wenger admitted that his side now need a miracle to advance to the quarter-finals as they look to overturn a four-goal deficit when the Germans arrive in London in a few weeks time.

WATCH: Bayern maul Arsenal