Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich
by Layth Yousif

GOALS from Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabi Martinelli sealed a glorious Champions League victory for a majestic Gunners side packed with quality.

Rampant Arsenal posted yet another statement victory in the middle of a magnificent week for Mikel Arteta’s team by overpowering Bayern Munich 3-1 on a joyous evening in north London.

The fully deserved triumph ensured Arsenal moved to the top of the 36-team Champions League table, underlining their current supremacy both domestically and on the continent.

While Gooners near and far are savouring such heady times, boss Arteta has his feet planted firmly on the ground, saying after the match: “I’m so proud of the team, of the players, of the atmosphere that, again, we have created.

“The way we have connected throughout the game. It’s unbelievable, because I think we played the best team in Europe.”

While Munich’s young prodigy Lennart Karl reminded everyone there are more gilded teenagers in the Champions League than simply Estevao and Yamine Lamal, it was the dominant home side that had the final say in a match that saw the Gunners simply sweep aside Vincent Kompany’s Bundesliga leaders.

Karl, a talented 17-year-old who hails from deepest Bavaria, equalised ten minutes after Arsenal’s redoubtable Dutch defender Timber put the home side ahead on 22 minutes.

However, Arteta’s magnificent Gunners are more than a match for Europe’s finest these days, and utterly dominated their German visitors in the second half, with goals coming from replacements.

Madueke’s strike was his first for the club, while fit-again Martinelli’s goal sealed a victory that was savoured immensely in north London. Especially, it has to be said, from those who attended all three of those 5-1 utter humiliations at the hands of the German giants in the dying days of the Arsene Wenger era.

Arteta said of his squad’s strength in depth: “I look at the players that are coming in, and they can change the game. So that’s why you’re required at this level.

“We certainly have improved that, not only with the quality but as well with the mindset of the players coming in, and that’s something that is making a huge difference for us.”

Arteta made two changes from the side that thrashed a woeful Spurs side in Sunday’s north London derby, with Cristhian Mosquera and Myles Lewis-Skelly drafted in for Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori.

Club captain Martin Odegaard was included on the bench, along with scorers Madueke and Martinelli.

Mikel Merino continued up front in Viktor Gyokeres continued absence, even if the former Sporting Lisbon striker is now on a personally tailored training programme in a bid for the Swede to be fit for Sunday’s top of the Premier League blockbuster against Chelsea.

As for the storied German visitors, England captain Harry Kane started for Bayern, as the former Spurs striker attempted but failed to add to his tally of six goals in 10 appearances at Arsenal’s home ground. 

With many in the stadium pondering just how Kane is so prolific in Germany, when he was such an anonymously peripheral figure against the Gunners, forced as he was, to drop deeper and deeper, to no discernible effect, when facing a determined backline who marshalled him superbly well.

Former Crystal Palace attacker Michael Olise also made Bayern’s line-up, alongside Bavarian teenage talent, 17-year-old Karl, to complete their attacking trident.

Arsenal’s Eberechie Eze and Olise became good friends from their three years together at Palace, with their relationship strengthened through their mutual love of chess.

It was no surprise that the match started in similar fashion to the cerebral board game, with both teams pushing and probing each other for a weakness, without ever fully committing. Even if, after only 180 seconds, Declan Rice delivered a tantalising ball into the box that saw William Saliba heading over when well-placed.

The opener came on 22 minutes when Timber glanced the ball into the net from Bukayo Saka’s corner as the home crowd erupted in joy for the second huge match in succession.

Given Arsenal’s solidity at the back, it almost came as a surprise when Munich equalised through Karl on 32 minutes, sweeping home former Gunner Serge Gnabry’s cross to make the score 1-1.

The youngster, playing in a deeper No 10 role behind Kane, certainly had the swagger required for such a high-profile role, not least when taunting the home support after his goal.

The equaliser meant that only Barcelona’s Yamal has scored more goals as a 17-year-old in Champions League history than Karl, who became the second-youngest player to score in consecutive Champions League appearances (17 years and 277 days), behind Yamal (17 years and 270 days).

Yet it was Arsenal who also would mark their name in the record books with their fifth win in succession in this competition, to lead the cream of Europe.

Starting with intensity and intent, Saka fired over moments after the interval, even if on closer inspection the alert Manuel Neuer helped flick the ball over the bar.

That was prior to Merino’s effort failing to test the veteran German keeper, following a spell of Arsenal pressure shortly afterwards. The makeshift striker then headed straight at Neuer in the Bayern goal, as the home side strove for a second.

To underline the Gunners’ dominance as the north London rain fell, Merino’s flicked header narrowly flew the wrong side of the post on 56 minutes. Mosquera was then denied by Neuer at the near post after making contact with Rice’s inswinging corner.

The goal simply had to come. It did.

Substitute Madueke — on for the limping Leo Trossard in the first half — slotted home Calafiori’s cross to put the Gunners ahead once again on 69 minutes.

Two became three on 77 minutes when Martinelli powered past an onrushing Manuel Neuer to coolly slot home for 3-1, as the home crowd erupted once again.

It was instructive to note that those 5,000 misguided souls clamouring for “No To Noni” by signing an online petition against his arrival from Chelsea this summer were nowhere to be seen, after the engaging and intelligent 23-year-old Madueke delivered his finest performance in an Arsenal shirt during his brief career in north London so far.

It was also noticeable that Arteta was rightly quick to praise Madueke, saying after the match: “I’m very happy.

“He’s worked incredibly hard to come back. I think he was in a great moment before he got the injuries. He’s one of the players who was performing at the highest level, and now we’ve got him back.

“I’m very pleased to see him, and hopefully many more [goals] to come.”

Sunday’s mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash against an in-form Chelsea at Stamford Bridge side can’t come soon enough.