Arsenal may not have made it into this season's Champions League but they were represented in some capacity on Wednesday night as club legend Thierry Henry watched on as Chelsea were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid.
Two quickfire headers from Karim Benzema put Carlo Ancelotti's men in firm control of the match inside the opening 30 minutes. Kai Havertz clawed one back for the Blues before the break but the Madrid figurehead would not be stopped that easily.
Less than a minute into the second half, Edouard Mendy played a sloppy pass to the feet of the Frenchman and he made no mistake, slotting into the empty goal from over 30 yards out. It was a result and performance that left Thomas Tuchel incredibly displeased after the final whistle.
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"We have to find our level back," Tuchel told his post-match press conference. "I don't know where it is since the international break. The first half is a repetition of the second half against Brentford in a quarter-final against Real Madrid.
"So far off our level in absolutely everything the game demands, we can't expect a result from this kind of performance. We have to get things ready for Saturday. Not think about the Bernabeu today. Saturday we face Southampton and if we continue to play like this, we will not get a point."
On Tuesday night during CBS Sport's coverage, it was revealed that Henry had predicted Madrid to get the better of Chelsea. As the game entered second-half injury time, Henry was spotted in the crowd with a beaming smile, as Arsenal's former rivals were comprehensively beaten.
Arsenal suffered a setback themselves this week as they look to secure a place in next season's Champions League. Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace side comfortably brushed Mikel Arteta and co. to one side in a 3-0 victory at Selhurst Park on Monday night, handing a boost to Tottenham in the process.
