LONDON — Arsenal hammered out a warning to Europe’s high groups by extending their excellent begin to the UEFA Champions League’s league section with a 3-1 win towards Bayern Munich, which confirms their standing as favorites to win the competitors.
Targets by Jurriën Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli despatched Bayern crashing to their first defeat in all competitions this season and despatched the Gunners three factors away from the chasing pack on the high of the desk.
Lennart Karl’s first-half equalizer had given Bayern hope of sustaining their unbeaten report, however Arsenal proved too robust within the second half, and Mikel Arteta’s substitutes — Madueke and Martinelli each coming off the bench — made match-winning contributions.
In a fiery recreation, each Arteta and Bayern coach Vincent Kompany have been yellow-carded for touchline protests, nevertheless it was Arsenal who held their nerve to assert a big victory. — Mark Ogden
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Arsenal win the battle of perfection
Each side went into this recreation with excellent Champions League data this season, however it’s Arsenal who finish Wednesday with theirs intact after a strong second-half show at Emirates Stadium.
They needed to work laborious for this. After a gradual begin, Bayern regularly started to manage the opening 45 minutes, proscribing Arsenal to simply 37.4% possession. That was Arsenal’s lowest first-half determine since dropping to Liverpool in January 2022. Arteta has spoken about attempting to seem calmer on the touchline, however there was little proof of that right here as Bayern posed a serious take a look at to his in-form facet.
But they discovered the second-half options to wrestle again the benefit and safe one other win, which promotes their Champions League credentials.
High of the league at dwelling and in Europe, the Gunners are proper the place they wish to be. Win at Chelsea on Sunday and they’re going to come by their hardest week of the season but trying unstoppable. — James Olley
Kane’s no-show turns into fear for Bayern
Harry Kane had an off night time for Bayern on the Emirates and that may have stung the England captain fairly badly, contemplating his connection to Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal’s bitter North London rivals.
The 32-year-old struggled towards Arsenal’s strong middle backs William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera and his lack of affect up entrance would possibly clarify why he spent a lot time dropping deep to go looking for the ball.
There may be little question that Kane is having fun with a outstanding season for Bayern, with 24 targets in 18 video games earlier than this Champions League conflict. However in Bayern’s greatest, or definitely hardest, video games of the season, he has failed to attain, blanking towards Paris Saint-Germain and now Arsenal.
So is Kane nonetheless one of many world’s most fearsome strikers, or is he starting to fall brief towards one of the best groups and defenders? That is a query that may nag at Bayern as they look forward to the second half of the season and the knockout phases, the place they should overcome one of the best groups in Europe to win the Champions League.
Bayern want Kane scoring within the greatest video games, so he has to sharpen up towards the highest sides. — Ogden
Robust night time for Lewis-Skelly
Arsenal made solely two adjustments to the lineup that thrashed Tottenham 4-1 on Sunday, with a kind of Myles Lewis-Skelly’s introduction at left again for Riccardo Calafiori. It did not work. Lewis-Skelly was repeatedly focused by Bayern, and the good diagonal ball for Karl’s equalizing objective took benefit of poor positioning from the 19-year-old, permitting Serge Gnabry to float in behind him.
Karl after which Michael Olise beat Lewis-Skelly far too simply halfway by the second half, and Arteta reacted by substituting him moments later. To make issues worse for Lewis-Skelly, Calafiori had a constructive affect seconds after approaching, powering down the left to cross for Madueke’s successful objective.
All of this occurred in entrance of England supervisor Thomas Tuchel, watching within the stands only a few weeks after dropping Lewis-Skelly from his squad amid a scarcity of recreation time. {The teenager} is a fantastic expertise, however a response is required. — Olley
Timber and Rice present their value
It was noticeable that whereas Arteta was keen to change his protection, he stored Timber within the lineup regardless of Ben White sitting patiently as his extremely skilled substitute.
Jurriën Timber is undoubtedly a superb defender, however with Gabriel Magalhães sidelined by harm, the Dutchman’s potential from set items is much more essential to the trigger. Arsenal’s opening objective was a reminder, with Timber making that acquainted run from far publish to close and glancing a end previous Manuel Neuer. Bayern boss Kompany wished a foul, however the fact is Neuer wasn’t robust sufficient.
A key cause Arsenal turned the second half of their favor was Declan Rice’s all-action midfield show. He helped drive Arsenal ahead and, aided by two substitutes scoring — or “finishers” as Arteta calls them — Bayern have been overpowered. No person had extra touches of the ball for Arsenal than Rice’s 66, and solely Saliba had extra defensive interventions for the house facet. — Olley
These two giants will solely get stronger within the competitors
Arsenal and Bayern might be among the many favorites to win the Champions League ultimate in Budapest subsequent Might as a result of they’ve dominated the league stage to this point.
And the unhealthy information for the opposite golf equipment vying to win it’s that each side will solely get stronger within the second half of the marketing campaign. Arsenal have been with out Kai Havertz for a lot of the season, and Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel are additionally sidelined proper now with accidents.
However all three must be again and able to have an effect when the knockout phases start, and the identical applies to Bayern’s lacking gamers. Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala are due again quickly following long-term accidents, whereas the suspended Luis Díaz can even return for the important thing knockout video games.
So if you wish to again a crew to win the Champions League, do not look past Arsenal and Bayern. — Ogden