In what was a pulsating Champions League showdown on Tuesday night, Arsenal eventually settled for a 2-2 stalemate against Bayern Munich in north London.
Getting off to a flying start at the Emirates as the red-hot Bukayo Saka produced a wonderful strike in the opening 12 minuets, the Gunners dominated large spells of the early proceedings.
However, while Bayern Munich might be at the heart of a public domestic crisis, the German giants mounted a dramatic first-half comeback.
With one-time Arsenal starlet Serge Gnabry slotting home just six minutes after Saka’s opener, it was the Gunners’ arch-nemesis who silenced the vocal home support in north London.
Watching former Tottenham talisman Harry Kane convert from the penalty spot just after the half-hour mark, Mikel Arteta’s men found plenty of pressure on their shoulders after returning from the interval.
While Belgium international Leandro Trossard might have dragged Arsenal to a first-leg equaliser late on, the Premier League title chasers will feel that they missed out on the chance to claim a crucial advantage on home soil.
With all eyes now falling on the Allianz next week, a Champions League semi-final spot is firmly hanging in the balance.
In a showdown that was expected to produce plenty of chances, we have taken a look at the key talking points.
Arsenal miss out on the chance to make a first-leg statement
With Bayern continuing to show a string of glaring issues on either side of March’s international break, Arsenal were certainly smelling the chance to make a major first-leg statement on Tuesday night.
However, while Arteta’s young squad might have collected 31 points from just their previous 11 Premier League appearances, they would have been left disappointed here.
With their normally rugged defence breached on two occasions in a single game for the first time since opening the New Year, the Gunners also saw their five-match winning run at the Emirates come to an abrupt…
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Author : Tom Dunstan
Publish date : 2024-04-10 08:39:46
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