Arsenal showed a lot of purpose in the second half and were pushing for the equaliser, which they eventually got it from Leandro Trossard.
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Arsenal and Bayern Munich played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. Both teams were in front at a certain point in the game but were unable to hold on to that lead, as the eagerly-anticipated fixture ended in a stalemate. There were plenty of interesting fixtures to look forward to in the last-eight stage and the clash at the Emirates Stadium was one of them.
It has been long since the Gunners have reached this stage of the Champions League hence their supporters were keenly awaiting the chance to see a side of Bayern Munich’s stature paying a visit to their stadium. The game started with Arsenal on the front foot and they took the lead through Bukayo Saka. However, they were not able to build on that momentum. Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane scored to put the visitors ahead heading into the half-time break.
Arsenal showed a lot of purpose in the second half and were pushing for the equaliser, which they eventually got it from Leandro Trossard. With no more goals to come, the first leg finished in a draw. After the match, Mikel Arteta gave an honest assessment of the contest. “I think we started the game really well, we were dominant we played in the opponents’ half, we generated some momentum, scored the first goal, and then it’s a critical moment of the match,” Arteta, quoted on Arsenal.com, said in his post-match press conference.
He added: “Ben White is in front of Neuer to make it two-nil and we have to put the ball in the back of the net and it becomes a different moment, and then in Champions League you cannot give anything to the opponent. We had given them two goals today and when you have this situation they are going to punish you. The margins are really small in this competition, it’s really difficult to penetrate the opponents and create big quality chances against this level of opposition, make sure you don’t give them anything.”
Arteta was also happy with the impact his substitutes made on the night. After coming from the bench, Gabriel Jesus did good work inside the box before setting up Trossard, who also came on as a substitute, for the equaliser. “I think the team showed a lot of composure especially after 2-1 because you can throw your toys away and generate a lot of spaces for the opponent and lose the tie in 20 minutes. We haven’t done that and I think the subs made a huge impact and the way they came on the pitch, the body language, the attitude, the initiative to make things happen made a big difference to the team,” he explained.
Arsenal’s great run in 2024 is down to their excellent defensive record. They rarely concede chances, as oppositions struggle to play against them. Keeping their good defensive record in mind, the manager was asked about the goals they conceded. “This happens and maybe it happened before and you don’t get punished, but this is the level against this kind of players this kind of opposition, especially they have space that they can punish you, we have let them run in a few occasions, that’s is something in the return leg we have to do much better,” he explained.
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