Tracking the Current Whereabouts of Arsenal Players Since the 10-2 Defeat by Bayern Munich: Featuring a Cristiano Ronaldo Teammate, Bayer Leverkusen’s Surprising Talent, and a Sky Sports Pundit

Back in 2017, Arsenal were dumped out of the Champions League after a brutal 10-2 aggregate defeat by German giants Bayern Munich. 

The Gunners, managed by historic manager Arsene Wenger, fell to consecutive 5-1 defeats by the Bavarian side, which spelled the end of their European campaign. 

Fast forward to the present day and the Gunners are once again facing their German rivals in Europe’s most elite competition – but the scenario couldn’t be more contrasting.

Here, Mail Sport takes a look at Arsenal’s line-up when they previously faced the Bundesliga giants and assesses the fortunes of their former players.

David Ospina

After impressing with his performances in the 2014 World Cup, Colombia’s David Ospina was brought over to north London in a deal worth £3million.

However, things didn’t pan out the way Ospina had expected, as he earned a place as Petr Cech’s understudy throughout his five years at the club. 

Bernd Leno’s arrival in 2018 spelled the end of Ospina’s time as a Gunner and he was loaned to Napoli before completing a permanent move in 2019. 

After three years in Italy, Ospina now plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi side Al-Nassr – where he has made 19 appearances since joining in 2022. 

Hector Bellerin

After breaking through Arsenal’s academy and earning a place in their first-team squad from a young age, much had been expected of full-back Hector Bellerin. 

However, the Spaniard’s career has been blighted with injuries and it’s lead to him, arguably, failing to live up to expectations. 

Bellerin spent seven years in the Arsenal first-team before eventually being sent on loan to Spanish side Real Betis in 2021-22. 

Upon his return to the club, Bellerin’s contract was terminated by mutual consent which lead to him joining Barcelona on a free transfer. 

However, his time with the Catalan giants was short-lived and he joined Sporting Lisbon during the January transfer window of 2022-23. 

The 28-year-old last just six months in Portugal before making a return to Real Betis – who he has made 26 appearances for this season. 

Shkodran Mustafi

Prior to joining Arsenal in 2016, Shkodran Mustafi was a key member of the German national side and had been impressive with his displays for Valencia.

However, it’s fair to say Mustafi’s reputation took a serious hit once his five-year spell at Arsenal came to an end – following a number of disappointing campaigns. 

He made 151 appearances for the Gunners before joining Schalke on loan and, later, Spanish side Levante in a permanent deal, where he has remained for two seasons. 

He is now a free agent. 

Laurent Koscielny

Former Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny was well appreciated by Arsenal fans during his time at the club, as he served as their most reliable defender.

However, his reputation in north London fell off a cliff once he completed a move away from the club to join French side Bordeaux in 2019. 

The defender, who had been at the club for nine years, partook in a controversial announcement video which saw him discard his Arsenal top for a Bordeaux one. 

He remained at the French side up until his retirement from football in March 2022.

Nacho Monreal

Spanish full-back Nacho Monreal will be fondly remembered by Arsenal fans for his contributions to the club during his six-and-a-half year spell in north London. 

He helped the Gunners clinch three FA Cup trophies, during his 251 appearances for the side and contributed 10 goals in that time.

The full-back spent two years at Spanish side Real Sociedad, after leaving Arsenal in 2019, before retiring from the sport in August 2022. 

Granit Xhaka

One of the few players in this side who appear to have fallen upwards since leaving north London, having had a turbulent time during his seven years at the club,

From being boo’d off the pitch by fans to become an integral member of Mikel Arteta’s title-challenging side, the Swiss international experienced it all. 

He eventually called an end to his time in north London last summer after securing a move to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. 

He’s become a key player for Xabi Alonso’s side, who are within touching distance of their first-ever Bundesliga title, after a sensational 2023-24 campaign. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

After six years in north London, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was snatched up by league rivals Liverpool in a deal worth £35million.

It came after some stellar performances for the Gunners, though the midfielder was also rather injury prone, leading to the north London side cashing in.

Arguably, it was a mistake from Arsenal as Oxlade-Chamberlain helped strengthen their rivals and went on to win every trophy available with the Merseyside club. 

After further injuries saw him miss the majority of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, Oxlade-Chamberlain left to join Turkish side Besiktas in summer. 

Aaron Ramsey

Even though his exit was five years ago, it’s no doubt that Aaron Ramsey’s departure from Arsenal will still sting some fans to this day. 

The Welsh international left the club for free – to join Italian giants Juventus – upon the expiring of his deal, but struggled to kick on once playing in Serie A. 

In three seasons, he made 70 appearances for the Old Lady before eventually joining French side OGC Nice in 2022, where he stayed for one season. 

He eventually left France to return to Wales and boyhood club Cardiff City, where he has made nine appearances – scoring three goals – during the 2023-24 campaign. 

Theo Walcott

Despite being a key feature for the Gunners for the majority of his playing career, during the 2017-18 season, Theo Walcott’s time at Arsenal came to an end.

The forward was limited to substitute appearances in the league and made rare appearances in the EFL Cup and Europa League for the Gunners.

After spending 12 years at Arsenal – which began with him breaking onto the scene as a teenager – Theo Walcott eventually left the club in 2017 to join Everton. 

After four years at Goodison Park, Walcott eventually ended his career with a stint at Southampton before eventually taking on a TV punditry role with Sky Sports.

Olivier Giroud

World Cup winner Olivier Giroud has a mixed reputation in north London after his five-and-a-half year spell at the club. 

The Frenchman scored a plethora of goals for the Gunners – including a Puskas award-winning goal – during his time there before eventually joining London rivals Chelsea in 2017.

After four years there, where he won the Champions League and Europa League, the talismanic forward moved to Italian side AC Milan – where he’s helped lead them to a Serie A title in 2021-22.

However, his time at the San Siro looks to be coming to an end, with reports suggesting he will join MLS side LAFC in the summer.

Alexis Sanchez

While it’s safe to say that there were no winners from Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s swap move between Arsenal and Man United, the Gunners can rest assured that they got the Chilean’s best years.

Sanchez scored just five goals across his two-year stint at United before eventually being sold to Italian side Inter Milan. 

After impressing in Italy he later earned a move to France with Marseille but he remained there for just a year before returning to Milan. 

His biggest triumph since departing Arsenal was being involved in Inter’s Scudetto triumph in 2020-21.