Beaten Wenger accepts Bayern superiority

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted his side had been outclassed in their 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich and said it seemed "impossible" to turn the UEFA Champions League last 16 tie around.

Eliminated from both domestic cup competitions and 21 points off the pace in the Premier League, Arsenal know the Champions League represents their only chance of picking up a first piece of silverware since 2005.

However, with Bayern in form that has seen them assemble a 15-point lead in the Bundesliga, it always seemed likely to prove a forlorn hope, and so it proved on a chastening Tuesday evening at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger admitted that his team had been "a bit nervous", but said there was no shame in losing to a team who have reached the Champions League final in two of the previous three seasons.

"You have to give them credit for their class," he said. "In patches in the first half, Bayern's play was of a different quality to ours.

"In the second half we were getting close and becoming dangerous, but then they changed and began to play more defensively, so it was difficult to create chances."

He added: "In these moments, you have to insist very hard and try to persuade the players that success will come through our play. I still have confidence in my players and my team. Results like tonight show there's work to do."

Wenger also returned to the theme of Monday's pre-match press conference, when he had angrily lashed out at British journalists over newspaper reports that he was close to agreeing a new contract.