How Bayern Munich dismantled Arsenal in their Champions League rematch (Video)

In the end, it seems, there will always be Bayern Munich to stand in Arsenal's way.

No matter how good the Gunners look, how strongly they feel about themselves, Bayern is forever at the ready to dash their dreams. A few swift passes and some laughably simple-looking goals, and then a casual celebration of the Bavarians' footballing transcendence.

[Champions League: Look back on Matchday 4 | Scores and Schedule | Group Standings]

There were five such sequences and scenes on Wednesday, as the two met for the second time in two weeks for the Champions League group stage. And with Bayern's 5-1 win, Arsenal's cathartic 2-0 victory in London from a fortnight ago was instantly forgotten.

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Because on Wednesday, we witnessed an utter destruction to undo all the soccer goodwill Arsenal had carefully crafted this year. Bayern's superiority was such that it cast a heavy pall on Arsenal's fine start to its Premier League campaign, in which it's finally competing for the title from the start again.

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Just as in both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, when Bayern handily vanquished Arsenal in the first legs of their round-of-16 bouts and held on in the return game, the Germans could well have ended the Londoners' European ambitions. Arsenal have now won one and lost three of their group stage games and sit dead last in Group F.

The hurt was immediate. In just the 10th minute, Thiago dropped a pass right onto the head of Robert Lewandowski, who was kept onside by Gabriel and redirected the ball past Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech as he fell backwards.

The Gunners were mostly pinned back, but early on they moved quickly and convincingly on the counterattack. And that yielded what seemed like an equalizer almost right away. Nacho Monreal's cross was chested into the goal by Mesut Ozil, but his arm and shoulder appeared to move in the direction of the ball as well. His goal was called off for a handball.

That may have broken Arsenal's spirits, knowing that it needed all the bounces to break its way. And before the half hour, Thomas Muller scored a scrambly goal to make it 2-0 Bayern. Douglas Costa volleyed Philipp Lahm's cross at goal but it was blocked. So Muller pounced and poked it in.

And then, to end all doubt, David Alaba found way too much room up the gut at the brink of halftime. He twirled through the space and curled a shot past Cech and into the top corner.

After the break, Costa launched a ball up the left side to the streaking Alaba, who cut it back for Arjen Robben. The Dutch star applied the simple finish, with his very first touch of the game after coming on as a sub, to make it 4-0 Bayern.

It was simple. It was easy. It was effortless.

It was confirmation of Bayern's supremacy. It was a reminder of Arsenal's futility in its ongoing quest to consistently compete with the truly great teams.

Because Olivier Giroud's consolation goal in the 69th minute didn't do much to change that impression. Alexis Sanchez found him in the box with a chip. The Frenchman jumped, chested the ball and volleyed it home on his way down to the ground for a splendid score.

But Robben could afford to blow a late one-on-one chance with Cech – as he spoils such clear-cut looks surprisingly often – because Muller would get a fifth for Bayern as Costa ran through Arsenal's entire midfield and back line and teed him up.

And now Arsenal's European campaign hangs by a thread. Just as the club looked to have turned a corner at last, it threatens to fail to survive the group stage for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.

Because as if the 5-1 loss to an old nemesis wasn't bad enough, Olympiakos came from behind to beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 in Piraeus. As such, Bayern and the Greeks have nine points, to Arsenal's and the Croatians' three apiece. That means in their two remaining games the Gunners will have to beat both Olympiakos and Dinamo – who have each beaten them in their first head-to-head games – and hope Bayern wins both its games as well. That's the most likely chance for Arsenal to advance, however unlikely it is.

And so Arsenal's strong domestic form has yielded to Bayern's dominance on the continent again. Suddenly, this isn't looking like such a promising season anymore.

Because in the end, there's always Bayern to ruin things for Arsenal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.