Gunners so close to glory

Arsenal may be out of the Champions League but their proud, defiant, and sparkling performance in a 3-0 victory over AC Milan continues the recent momentum that will make them favourites to return to the competition next season; even if the frustration of an early exit will sting for a while.

In the end, the fairytale was tantalisingly close but ultimately unachievable as Arsene Wenger’s men, already 4-0 down from the first leg following a miserable performance at the San Siro, went 3-0 up by half-time but ran out of legs in the second half as Milan suddenly remembered they were Italian and born to defend.

No team had ever come from 4-0 down to win a tie in the Champions League and only three teams had done so in the history of European football; but even so it was tough to take for home fans, whose expectations had been raised by goals from Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky and a Robin van Persie penalty.