How Arsenal beat their demons as old bully silenced
Arsenal saw off Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, after a staggeringly good second half.
Goals from Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli saw Arsenal beat Bayern 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium, on a night that really emphasised the quality of Mikel Arteta‘s team.
The Gunners were pegged back when Lennart Karl got an equaliser for the visitors, but the Gunners flew out of the blocks in the second half and blew away their German opposition.
Riccardo Calafiori was hailed for his impact off the bench against Bayern, after the left-back delivered a perfect cross to Madueke, after just seconds on the pitch.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was replaced after a tough night against Bayern for the teenager, with Arteta praised for the substitution’s instant effectiveness.
Arsenal smash unbeaten Bayern
Unbelievably, Bayern had not lost a single game this season before Wednesday night’s clash. Vincent Kompany‘s team had won their first 16 games of the season, drawing one before they added the 17th win.
The Bundesliga champions have been a force to be reckoned with under the former Manchester City defender, and are undoubtedly among the favourites to win the Champions League this season.
And they looked every bit of it after getting their equaliser on Wednesday, too. Karl’s goal was born out of a stunning piece of play, with Joshua Kimmich’s perfectly weighted ball over the top met first-time and across by Serge Gnabry.
| Arsenal | Match stats | Bayern Munich |
| 40% | Possession | 60% |
| 13 | Shots | 8 |
| 8 | On target | 2 |
| 3.11 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.65 |
| 7 | Big chances | 1 |
| 6 | Corners | 1 |
Talented teenager Karl only needed to finish, and did so well. Bayern found themselves in the ascendancy going into the break, having settled well and calmed the home crowd.
But the second half brought massive, dominating change. The Gunners pressed with intensity and aggression, almost as if they harboured a deep rage that a team had come to their house and dared to score.
The football, too, was superb. Mikel Merino‘s movement constantly drew Bayern defenders out, allowing the space for Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze to find the pockets.
Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice pulled the strings, with Madueke creating a constant headache for Konrad Laimer.
The former Chelsea winger would find the net for his first Arsenal goal to put Arteta’s team back on top, before Martinelli capped off proceedings when Manuel Neuer was caught in no man’s land.
Arsenal would end the game having created a staggering six big chances in the second half, as Bayern were left well-beaten.
No joy for Harry Kane on Arsenal return
Harry Kane has so often been the tormentor for Arsenal. The former Tottenham striker has met the Gunners 22 times throughout his career, scoring 15 goals.
Even at Bayern, the England international came back to score a penalty at the Emirates Stadium as Thomas Tuchel‘s side progressed to the Champions League semi-final in the 2023-24 season.
But there would be no such luck for Kane on Wednesday. With no Gabriel to select, Cristhian Mosquera came into the line-up to partner William Saliba.
The 21-year-old arrived for just £13million in the summer, but has looked like a player worth at least four times that.
And the defender stepped up again, marshalling Kane extremely well throughout the night. The 32-year-old has scored 24 goals in just 19 appearances this season, but could not get a sniff against the relentless Arsenal pairing.
Kane would fail to take even a single shot during the 90 minutes – the first time in his career that he has not had one in a match against Arsenal.
It was a night of beating demons for the Gunners, who once again proved their status among the world’s very best teams.