It was deja vu for Arsenal in the Champions League, as a redoubtable 2^nd leg result almost overturned a seemingly insurmountable deficit, ultimately ending with  elimination from the competition, but one that comes with pride salvaged.

Lukasz Fabianski - 7 – An impressive outing on his first game of the season. Bar a couple of ropey kicks, he was unruffled in between the sticks. Dealt with crosses with aplomb, and made a superb save from Arjen Robben to keep the contest alive.

Carl Jenkinson - 7 – I think his technical qualities still need work, but Jenkinson offset that with his athleticism and dynamism. He also was very disciplined in defence, often covering his centre-backs when necessary. Much like the late David Rocastle, Jenkinson could turn into an on-pitch avatar for Arsenal fans.

Per Mertesacker – 7 – Always looks more secure when the play is in front of him, so Arsenal's deep defensive line was ideal for the German. Adroit positioning meant he was often first to clear crosses and through-balls.

Laurent Koscielny – 8 – This was like the Koscielny from last season. Mario Mandzukic gave Arsenal a handful of problems in the 1^st leg, but Koscielny played him brilliantly. When not keeping the Croatian quiet, Koscielny made important covering challenges and near post clearances. And his header late-on set the backsides squeaking in the Bayern camp.

Kieran Gibbs - 7 – Not the kind of game one would wish for after returning from injury, but Gibbs acquitted himself reasonably well. Didn't have his usual thrust going forward, but defended with impressive maturity, especially when having to deal with Robben in the 2^nd half.

Mikel Arteta – 6 – Bit of a mixed bag. Was poor in the 1^st half, as he kept conceding possession. But used the ball better for most of the second period, in which he also did some important defensive work. However, he completely lost his head late on when Arsenal chased the 3^rd goal.

Aaron Ramsey - 6 – A display high on industry, but lacking sufficient quality. He was another to be too careless in possession, and wasn't helped by an over-officious referee. Ran himself into the ground however, and was substituted when the need for goals became pressing.

Tomas Rosicky - 5 – Tried to insert some much needed energy into the Arsenal midfield, as is his wont. But on the occasions he did get the ball, he didn't do enough with it. Tried to press from the front when Bayern had possession, but he was often a one-man band in that respect.

Theo Walcott - 5 – Gave the assist for the 1^st goal, and Bayern seemed nervous of his pace, but Walcott was largely peripheral, often conceding possession, and mistiming his runs – with one exception in the 2^nd half. But he's in a bad run of form at present. He touched the ball only twice more than Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain did, and 'the Ox' didn't come off the bench until the 72^nd minute.

Olivier Giroud - 5 –  If nothing else, Giroud is never short on application. He was in the right place to give the Gunners an early lead, but struggled beyond that. Came off largely second best in his battle with Dante and Daniel Van Buyten. 58% pass accuracy isn't good enough for someone who's meant to be skilled as a target man.

Santi Cazorla - 6 – On the rare occasions Arsenal threatened, it correlated with Cazorla having a strong influence on proceedings. But the Spaniard had a largely frustrating evening, and his desire to drift inwards off the left flank - in search of the ball - left Gibbs exposed on occasion.

SUBS

Gervinho – n/a – He wasn't brilliant, but wasn't a liability either. Almost got the decisive goal after Arsenal's best move of the match.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – n/a – Gave the ball away a lot, but always looked to make inroads into the Bayern defence. He did well to win the corner that led to Koscielny's goal.

This match may end up as a forgotten footnote in Arsenal's season, but it doesn't have to be. They were dogged, focused and resilient. It's that attitude that Arsenal must take into the rest of the Premier League season, starting with a tough trip to Swansea at the weekend (the Welsh side have only lost twice at home all season). If they can do that, then 4^th place could still happen. Otherwise, it will be a moribund conclusion to a relatively miserable season (so far).

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