Arsenal’s Champions League campaign came to an end at the Allianz Arena, as Joshua Kimmich led Bayern Munich to the semi-finals.
After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, the tie was precariously poised heading into the encounter at the Allianz Arena. Arsenal thought they should have had a chance to take the lead to Bavaria, but a late penalty appeal was turned down, while Bayern were unhappy with one refereeing decision.
After a goalless first half, Bayern came dangerously close to taking the lead only a minute after the restart as Leon Goretzka and Raphael Guerreiro hit the post in rapid succession. They got their goal shortly after the hour mark, with Kimmich leaping into the box and smashing a header past David.
The hosts had chances to extend their lead, but Leroy Sana squandered one shortly after the opener. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made changes in pursuit of the equalizer that would have sent the game to overtime, but it was not to be.
Harry Kane, who scored from the penalty spot in the first leg, missed David Raya’s goal with the game’s first chance. It took the visitors 20 minutes to trouble Manuel Neuer, with Gabriel Martinelli wriggling past a couple of tackles but unable to get a shot off.
Arsenal’s back-line needed to be at its best, with a desperate Ben White block stopping Noussair Mazraoui finishing off a quick break and David Raya saving well from Jamal Musiala’s speculative effort. At the other end, Neuer struggled to deal with a Martin Odegaard effort from the edge of the box.
Bayern turned the screw early in the second half, coming inches from an opener, wile Arsenal got a let-off when Gabriel almost scored an own-goal after a breakdown in communication with David Raya. The visitors could only survive so many let-offs, though, and Kimmich made the breakthrough after escaping his marker and giving Raya no chance.
And so it’s Bayern who move into the semis, with Arsenal left to focus on their Premier League title challenge. Here are Mirror Football‘s talking points from a tough night for the Gunners.
- Martinelli’s night to forget
In a first half of few clear chances, Arsenal missed the best of the bunch. Gabriel Martinelli was given the nod ahead of first-leg scorer Leandro Trossard, and the Brazilian hit a snapshot straight down the throat of Neuer when slightly better aim would surely have sent the ball into the back of the net.
Martinelli hadn’t scored in more than a month, last netting in the win at Sheffield United before the international break. In practice that’s only meant five matches, four as a sub, but that’s still quite a long time for someone who really got into his scoring groove last season.
Not only that, but the Brazilian’s defensive lapse allowed Bayern to get their noses in front. It appeared to be Arsenal’s number 11 who failed to track Kimmich’s run, and he was withdrawn for Leandro Trossard before having time to make amends.
- Tomiyasu tweak works up to a point
After starting Jakub Kiwior at left-back in the first leg, Mikel Arteta opted to give Takehiro Tomiyasu the nod in Germany. It was the Japan international’s first start since December, but question marks over recent performances from Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko prompted the Arsenal manager to shuffle the pack.
Leroy Sane impressed for Bayern at the Emirates Stadium and there was perhaps a hope that Tomiyasu could keep the German winger quiet. He was caught out a little after the quarter-hour mark, though a covering team-mate was able to deal with the threat after Sane got in behind and drove towards the byline.
It was a change made not just for this game, but perhaps with the rest of the season in mind. Tomiyasu arguable showed he has enough to be trusted in the league as well, but the next teamsheet will show whether or not Arteta agrees.
- Kane marshalled well but to no avail
Harry Kane went into this gameweek as the Champions League’s leading scorer thanks to his penalty at the Emirates Stadium, but had lost that honour before kick-off thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s double for Paris Saint-Germain in Barcelona.
The England striker enjoyed an impressive record against Arsenal while on Tottenham’s books, but wasn’t able to score from open play in North London. After a couple of early chances, he was mostly kept quiet by William Saliba and Gabriel in the first half at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern were without the suspended Alphonso Davies and the injured Serge Gnabry, reducing their options out wide, but Kane has been able to score goals with any kind of supporting cast. This time, though, he didn’t need to.
- Tuchel’s cup pedigree shows
Thomas Tuchel’s Champions League success was a key factor in his appointment at Bayern. The manager won the competition with Chelsea in 2021 after leading Paris Saint-Germain to the final 12 months before.
Even his near misses have been sensational. Chelsea nearly recovered from a 3-1 home loss to Real Madrid in 2022, despite losing two of their three league games before the match.
In contrast, Mikel Arteta was leading Arsenal into the Champions League for the first time. In this sport, experience can pay off, and the London team has a good chance of returning stronger the next year.
- Arsenal’s wait goes on
It’s been more than a decade since Arsenal advanced this far in the Champions League. With that in mind, there will be plenty of positives to take after the dust settles, even if it does not feel like it right now.
