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.
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.
BAYERN MUNICH RULE OUT MARCUS RASHFORD MOVE REGARDLESS OF ANTHONY GORDON OUTCOME
Marcus Rashford is not a target for Bayern Munich this summer, as the club focuses entirely on signing Gordon from Newcastle.
Bayern Munich aren’t considering a move for Marcus Rashford this summer, no matter what happens with Anthony Gordon. That’s according to a German reporter who’s close to the story.
Right now, Rashford is wrapping up his loan at Barcelona. He’s set to return to Manchester United at the end of the season. Barcelona have an option to make the deal permanent for €30 million (£26 million) in the summer. Both Rashford and Barcelona want him to stay, but here’s the catch: the club doesn’t want to pay the full €30 million.
Barcelona would rather keep Rashford on loan for another year or get him for a lower fee. Manchester United’s not having it. They want the full price, so Barcelona are starting to look at other players.
Rashford hasn’t made a secret of where he wants to be. Earlier in the season, he told Sport, one of the local Barcelona papers, about how much he wants to stay, saying, “Of course, what I want is to stay at Barca. It’s the ultimate goal.” He talked about the pressure and expectations at the club, saying they keep him motivated and that he feels like he’s in the perfect environment to grow and win trophies. For now, though, it’s all up in the air until next summer.
Last year, Bayern Munich actually showed some interest in Rashford before he went to Barcelona. But now, they’re focused on signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for the left wing. The problem is, Gordon’s interested, but Newcastle’s price is ridiculous, reportedly around £80 million (€92.6 million). That’s much higher than what Bayern’s willing to pay. They’re thinking closer to £60 million (€69.4 million), and maybe with add-ons or an instalment plan. If Newcastle won’t budge, it probably isn’t happening.
Christian Falk, a trusted journalist from Bild, says Bayern aren’t considering Rashford as a backup if they can’t land Gordon. Bayern’s got a short list of players for the left wing, and Rashford isn’t on it. Gordon’s their main focus, but even if that deal falls through, Rashford’s not the next in line.
So at this stage, Bayern and Rashford won’t be coming together this summer, even if Gordon stays at Newcastle. That’s just not in the plans.
BAYERN MUNICH IDENTIFY ARSENAL’S KAI HAVERTZ AS TOP TARGET FOR SUMMER WINDOW
From North London to Munich? Kai Havertz emerges as the leading candidate to join Bayern’s elite Premier League-built attack.
Bayern Munich still have their eye on an Arsenal star, hoping to bring more Premier League experience up front, especially after plans with Chelsea fell apart.
Right now, Bayern are among the best teams in Europe. It really depends on how you rank PSG, but Bayern’s up there, no question. Vincent Kompany deserves a lot of credit for getting them to this level. Still, you can’t ignore their recruitment. They keep picking top-flight Premier League attackers, and it works.
With Luis Diaz, Harry Kane, and Michael Olise, Bayern’s attack is lethal. Those three have already scored 100 goals this season. Defenders in the Bundesliga just can’t cope, and you can tell their time in England’s toughest league has paid off.
Bayern have another Premier League forward in the mix right now, but he’s not sticking around.
Chelsea deal off, Bayern looking at Arsenal.
On Wednesday, Fabrizio Romano made it official that X: Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson will head back to Stamford Bridge this summer because Bayern aren’t activating his €65m buy option. Bayern’s director, Max Eberl, confirmed it, so that the backup spot behind Kane opens again when Jackson leaves.
James Benge reports that Kai Havertz’s name is coming up as a possible replacement. He said on the Inside Arsenal podcast that Bayern are definitely interested, “but nothing concrete yet.” Havertz could be the squad player who covers for Musiala and Kane.
Honestly, signing a German for Germany’s top club makes sense. Arsenal won’t just roll over, though, if Bayern come calling. Even after picking up Viktor Gyokeres last summer, Mikel Arteta still prefers Havertz up front. When Arsenal played Manchester City in their biggest game this season, Arteta benched Gyokeres and started Havertz.
Havertz has had injury issues this year. Heading into summer, he’ll still have two years left on his contract. If Bayern make a strong offer, Arsenal could think about selling.
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