Arsenal have cemented themselves as the team to beat this season as the Gunners tore apart Bayern Munich in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium
21:58, 26 Nov 2025
Mikel Arteta will be hoping that Leandro Trossard does not join his Arsenal injury list
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Mikel Arteta will be hoping that Leandro Trossard does not join his Arsenal injury list(Image: (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images))
It wasn't too long ago Bayern Munich were licking their lips at the prospect of facing Arsenal.
In three of their last five games, Bayern have put five past the Gunners. However, this team that Mikel Arteta is building is a different Arsenal to the one that would once roll over for the Bavarian giants.
And they would have had every right to go into the game cautiously, there have been murmurs this Bayern side are one of the best teams we've seen in recent memory. They've won 16 out of their last 17 - scoring at least twice in each game - but that ended on Wednesday evening.
Arsenal, as they have with every team they've faced this season, out classed them across the pitch while playing to the tempo of Declan Rice.
The Gunners are fearless, and have every right to be.
It was back to basis for Arsenal - so much has been made of their free-flowing football from the weekend, but the opener came from a set-piece.
It all looked choreographed as Myles Lewis-Skelly gave Manuel Neuer a small push before the ball hit the box, meaning he couldn't get where to needed to go once the cross was made.
No Gabriel, no problem - Jurrien Timber stepped up the Gunners, getting his head on a corner from Rice to break the deadlock. Arteta's side were oozing with confidence and Eberechi Eze looked like he had picked up from where he left off over the weekend.
However, Arsenal's bubble was burst just after the half hour mark as Bayern's teenage sensation Lennart Karl announced himself of the biggest stage - turning the ball past David Raya.
Rice was magnificent again, and Arsenal should have retaken the lead just past the hour mark, with the Bayern defence somehow keeping the ball out.
Bayern, however, were slowly warn down as substitute Noni Madueke fired the Gunners back into the lead.
And their lead would be doubled just over 10 minutes later as Gabriel Martinelli caught Neuer napping, tapping the ball past him and rolling the ball into an open net.
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They were the top two in the group, but miles apart on the pitch as Arsenal now stand alone in the standings as they do in the Premier League.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Matthew Upson said: "It's been a second-half performance from Arsenal of a team that believes it is superior.
"They don't even feel like they are going to concede goals. They've been more attacking and outworking Bayern with their physicality. There is a real feel here that this team is capable of doing something special this season."