Arsenal defeated Bayern Munich 3-1 on the Emirates to take sole possession of first place within the Champions League desk with Inter Milan dropping to Atletico Madrid. The Gunners are the one remaining facet within the competitors with a excellent document. The win additionally qualifies Arsenal for not less than the playoff spherical of the knockout stage. The Gunners’ 15 factors could also be sufficient for a high 8 spot, and Arsenal have three extra matches to play.
Coming into the night, you can have made a case that Bayern Munich have been one of the best workforce in Europe. You’d have been mistaken — it’s Arsenal (or possibly PSG) — however I’d have entertained the argument. Arsenal comprehensively beat them. Bayern had extra of the ball however did virtually nothing with it. The possession was 60%-40% in favor of the German membership. The anticipated targets, nonetheless, have been all Arsenal — 2.72 to 0.78 (3.1-0.6 elsewhere) and seven massive possibilities to 1.
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Bayern Munich got here out energized to begin the match and had a sturdy opening 5-10 minutes, albeit with out creating a lot menace. Michael Olise seemed vivid on their proper facet and gave Myles Lewis-Skelly a robust time your entire evening. But Arsenal settled shortly and took management of the match, wanting far the extra harmful facet.
The Gunners opened the scoring from a nook, ending a run of 10-consecutive targets from open play. Bukayo Saka, as he all the time does, hit a great nook and Jurrien Timber headed residence on the close to submit. It seemed simple, actually. Manuel Neuer tried to bump Timber as he ran by the six-yard field to attract a foul however the referee was having none of it. As a end result, Neuer was out of place and left flapping helplessly. Hat-tip to Martin Zubimendi, whose hustle gained the nook.
Bayern struck again simply 10 minutes after going behind. It was kind of a excellent purpose. A 50-yard diagonal ball to search out Serge Gnabry in stride, a first-touch volleyed move, and a one-touch end from 17-year previous Lennart Karl. That’s what it takes to attain on Arsenal — near-perfection. If you wished to nitpick, each Myles Lewis-Skelly and Cristhian Mosquera have been caught ever so barely flat-footed. Had they been faster to step up, they’d have put the assault offside. From there, they didn’t have the tempo to catch as much as gamers already on (or near) a full dash, and also you’d not count on them to.
Sometimes a actually good workforce like Bayern is simply going to try this to ‘ya. It certainly can’t have helped that Myles Lewis-Skelly has hardly performed this season (and isn’t a left again by commerce) and that he and Mosquera are a model new partnership on the left facet of the protection. As I discussed earlier, MLS had a robust evening. Mosquera, then again, was fairly good.
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That the edges have been stage on the break flattered Bayern. They generated one likelihood within the first half, had one shot heading in the right direction, and scored from it. Arsenal have been firmly the higher of the 2 sides.
The Gunners ratcheted it up within the second half, peppering Neuer’s purpose with possibilities from set items and open play alike. But for his or her keeper, Bayern simply might have been down two or three targets 15-20 minutes into the second half. Arsenal have been swarming, led by Declan Rice’s relentless vitality. Speaking of relentlessness, how about these Arsenal substitutions? Bayern’s reward for maintaining the match stage by 68 minutes was seeing Mikel Arteta convey on Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Martinelli, which shifted Noni Madueke (who’d changed an injured Leandro Trossard within the first half) to the proper.
The contemporary legs on the Arsenal left instantly, and I imply instantly, pressed Dayot Upamecano into a horrible turnover. The Bayern CB handed it on to Declan Rice in the course of the pitch. Calafiori surged ahead and between defenders and together with his first contact of the ball hit a pretty cross for Noni Madueke to volley residence (and open his Arsenal account).
Less than 10 minutes later, the substitutes made the distinction once more. Calafiori, who did a a lot better job corralling Olise, contained the difficult winger and ushered him into an alley of Arsenal defenders. Someone knocked the ball away and Gabriel Martinelli, a few steps exterior his personal field, gathered the unfastened ball. The Brazilian laid it off and took off up the pitch like he was shot out of a cannon. As quickly as he began working, I believed to myself “this is trouble for Bayern.”
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Ebere Eze launched it up the pitch with exactly the proper weight and distance for the Brazilian to gather. Manuel Neuer, who very similar to David Raya discovered himself in a unhealthy spot in opposition to Spurs on the weekend, determined to attempt to minimize out the lengthy ball as a substitute of retreating. Martinelli simply beat him to the spot, touched it across the keeper, left Neuer wanting slightly silly, and had a run at an empty internet. He touched it residence for the insurance coverage purpose and that was that. Martinelli, by the best way, has scored in every of his 4 Champions League appearances this season.
Martin Ødegaard and Ben White each acquired late runouts as they work again into the rotation. The solely concern for the Gunners was what gave the impression to be a left calf harm for Leandro Trossard. His motion didn’t look terribly restricted however he did go straight down the tunnel as he got here off the pitch.
It could be good if Arsenal might cease dropping attackers to harm however that appears to be the way it goes. Fortunately, they added depth in the summertime and must be getting gamers again quickly. Both Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are in rivalry for Chelsea on the weekend. Gabriel Jesus has returned to coaching, too. For these of you maintaining observe at residence, that’s 7 targets in 2 matches for the Gunners with out that trio of strikers.
The consideration shifts to the weekend — Arsenal journey to Stamford Bridge to face second-place Chelsea with a likelihood to take a commanding lead within the Premier League.