Bayern Munich and Arsenal drew 2-2 in the third round of the Champions League main stage. Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice scored for the visitors, while Alphonso Davies and Harry Kane scored for the hosts. Rice equalized in the 82nd minute after a combination with Victor Gökeres to leave Arsenal with a point away from the “Allianz Arena“.
“We are a bit disappointed, but I think a draw is a fair result“, Kane told TNT Sports. The striker pointed out that Bayern looked like the team to win before Arsenal put pressure on late on. Kane added that penalties require “a lot of training and hard work”, and his goal against the London team was his 16th in 22 games.
Kompany: Arsenal were the better team at times
Vincent Kompany assessed the match as equal, but admitted that Bayern had difficult moments. “We had two or three good opportunities where we could have used our numerical advantage in the opponent's half“, the coach said after the match.
Kompany said that both teams pressed with high intensity and that Bayern did not always find the right moment to attack in depth. “In some periods we played well, in others Arsenal were the better team. Overall the result is acceptable“, the Belgian commented.
The coach also spoke about the personnel problems of the squad. Luis Diaz came on in the 68th minute but left before the end with a physical problem. Kim Min-jae was substituted at half-time. Kompany expects neither injury to be serious and has ruled out a less than week absence, saying further tests are needed.
Arteta awaits Saka results
Arsenal were forced to make a substitution in the 10th minute when Bukayo Saka left the pitch with a thigh injury. He was replaced by Eze, who opened the scoring in the 25th minute after a pass from Martin Odegaard.
“The medical staff are a bit concerned. When a player has to come off with acute pain, it is never good news. We have to wait“, said Mikel Arteta. He described the intensity of the match as extremely high and pointed out that in matches with constant duels and pressure, injuries can happen.
Arsenal took the lead, but Bayern equalized through Davies after a pass from Kane, and in the 61st minute the captain of the German team converted a penalty after a handball by Jurgen Timber. Rice restored the tie eight minutes before the end, and in added time Manuel Neuer saved a shot by Timber and did not allow Arsenal to reach the victory.
Media reaction and subsequent matches
Sky Sports defined Arsenal's performance as a response to criticism of the team's style after the narrow victory over Nottingham Forest. According to the analysis, the London team did not rely only on a closed game, but attacked against Bayern and finished the match with more possession and more shots. Meanwhile, the expected goals statistics were in the home team's favour.
The draw left Arsenal with seven points from their first three games in the group stage, while Bayern have five. Arsenal will visit Slavia Prague on 4 November, while Bayern will play Atletico Madrid in their next match of the tournament.
Sources: skysports.com, uk.irishnews.com, echo-online.de