StadiumPosts Logo
Stay upto date with notifications from Stadiumposts
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences

ARSENAL STATEMENT: BAYERN MUNICH'S PERFECT SEASON SHATTERED

Arsenal hand Bayern Munich their first defeat of the season in a commanding 3-1 UCL win. Read the match report and analysis.

Arsenal Statement: Bayern Munich's Perfect Season Shattered
Arsenal Inflict Bayern's First Defeat

Bayern Munich's winning streak ended Wednesday as Arsenal secured a solid 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium, pushing Bayern to third place in their Champions League group.

Kompany made expected changes to the lineup that beat Freiburg 6-2. Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry were back after recovering from minor injuries, and Lennart Karl stayed in the attack, ahead of Nicolas Jackson.

Bayern began strongly, keeping the ball and pushing Arsenal back. Even so, they didn't create many chances. Arsenal defended well, not allowing any openings. Bayern kept possession but didn't threaten much.

Arsenal struck first after absorbing Bayern’s early pressure. In the 22nd minute, Jurrien Timber headed in Bukayo Saka's cross from a corner.

Arsenal improved after the goal, winning the ball higher up the pitch. Eberechi Eze nearly made it 2-0 in the 31st minute, but his shot went just wide after a good play with Mikel Merino.

Bayern responded when Joshua Kimmich sent a long ball to Serge Gnabry on the right. Gnabry passed to Lennart Karl, who scored to tie the game. The first half ended with chances for both teams, but Arsenal seemed more likely to score next.

Arsenal upped their game and controlled the second half. Bayern seemed tired when pressing Arsenal. The home side had more opportunities, but Bayern tried to hold on.

Arsenal’s persistence paid off in the 69th minute. Eze and Ricardo Calafiori linked up on the left, and Calafiori crossed for Noni Madueke, who scored with his left foot.

Manuel Neuer made saves to prevent Arsenal from extending their lead, but couldn't stop Madueke's goal. Neuer then made a mistake that sealed the game. In the 77th minute, Eze found Gabriel Martinelli on the left. Neuer rushed out to clear the ball, but Martinelli beat him to it and scored into the empty net.

Arsenal controlled the rest of the game, keeping their perfect Champions League record. Bayern struggled, managing only eight shots, with two on target, while Arsenal had 13 shots, eight on target, and created seven good chances compared to Bayern's one.

This loss ends Bayern's winning run, but the game against Arsenal should give them something to learn from. They can still qualify for the round of 16 by winning their next three Champions League games.

VINCENT KOMPANY DEFENDS MANUEL NEUER: KEEPER'S FUTURE HINGES ON MARCH FEELING

Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer will decide on his contract extension by March, despite a recent Champions League error. He reaffirmed his retirement from the German national team.

top-news
Bayern Legend to Decide Contract Extension Later

It was a tough week for Manuel Neuer and Bayern Munich. They lost their first game of the season to Arsenal in the Champions League. Neuer made a mistake on Arsenal’s third goal, which sealed the match at Emirates Stadium.

During Friday's press conference, Vincent Kompany defended Neuer. He said Neuer made the right choice to challenge the attack, but Gabriel Martinelli still managed to score the winning goal, giving Arsenal a 3-1 victory.

Neuer has been playing well this season overall. He played great in Paris earlier this month, helping Bayern get a 2-1 victory against the defending European champions, even after they were down a man for half the game.

Because of his form, there are talks in Germany that Neuer will sign another one-year extension. After Bayern’s 3-1 victory against St. Pauli, Neuer talked about his future in Munich, saying he's not rushing to sign a new deal and will decide later in the season.

Neuer said, It will depend on how I feel. I'll decide closer to March during the international break.

Neuer will be 40 during the second half of the season. Though he had a difficult period last season, he is still playing well overall. Bayern supports Neuer and thinks he can still help the team, both on and off the field. They will decide his future together later in the season.

Bayern has already picked Jonas Urbig as Neuer’s replacement in the future. Urbig joined Munich at the beginning of 2025 and did a solid job filling in for Neuer last season when he was injured. Urbig has played in the DFB Pokal this season to get playing time. Bayern wants Urbig to play more Bundesliga and Champions League games in the next year and a half.

Neuer also said again that he won't return to the German national team.

Because he’s been playing well, some people in the German media and former players have asked Neuer to return to the team. But Neuer announced he was retiring from international soccer after the 2024 Euros.

Neuer said on Saturday that he’s not changing his mind about retiring from international play. He wants to focus on playing for his club.

It would take something unexpected for Neuer to play for Germany in the World Cup at the end of the season. But, for now, Bayern fans are hoping Neuer keeps playing well and helps Bayern win this year.

ANALYSIS: HOW BAYERN SET NEW BUNDESLIGA ALL-TIME LEADERSHIP MARK

Bayern Munich scores twice in stoppage time to beat St. Pauli 3-1! The dramatic comeback extends their record Bundesliga lead and breaks a nine-game losing streak for the hosts.

top-news
Bayern Munich Achieves New Bundesliga Top Spot Record

On Saturday, Luis Díaz and Nicolas Jackson scored in stoppage time, saving Bayern Munich from a potential upset with a 3-1 victory over St. Pauli in the Bundesliga.

Even if Bayern had lost, they would still have set a new league record of leading the Bundesliga for 44 straight matchdays.

Three minutes into added time, Díaz redirected Joshua Kimmich's cross with his shoulder, crushing St. Pauli's hope of earning a point. Soon after, Serge Gnabry assisted Jackson, who scored again.

These goals extended St. Pauli’s losing streak in the league to nine games and helped Bayern avoid some tough questions, especially after their first defeat of the season against Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday.

A tie against the newly promoted team from Hamburg would have marked Bayern's second draw in three league games, after Union Berlin ended their record-breaking 16-game winning streak to start the season with a 2-2 draw on Nov. 8.

Andreas Hountondji shocked Bayern early on, scoring in the sixth minute by shooting the ball between Manuel Neuer's legs after Mathias Pereira Lage won the ball from Konrad Laimer.

The scorer had to be subbed off soon after due to a thigh injury.

Lennart Kark and, later, Tom Bischoff both hit the post as Bayern looked to respond.

Their efforts paid off just before halftime when Díaz set up Raphaël Guerreiro for the tying goal. Díaz initially attempted to control the ball but, after losing his footing, backheeled it to Guerreiro.

Harry Kane also hit the post late in the game as Bayern continued to search for the winning goal.

Elsewhere, Heidenheim also scored twice in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win at Union, moving them off the bottom of the table. St. Pauli fell to last place.

Said El Mala scored in stoppage time for Cologne, drawing their game at Werder Bremen 1-1. Bremen’s Niklas Stark was ejected after committing two bad fouls on the Cologne player.

Hoffenheim easily defeated Augsburg 3-0, with all goals scored in the first half.

Bayer Leverkusen played Borussia Dortmund later that day.

Premier League Standings

WhatsApp Read More News