#UCL:
Arsenal Outclassed Bayern Munich 3-1 to Move to the Top of the
Champions League—-Arsenal beat Bayern Munich for the first time in a decade to maintain their 100% record in this season’s Champions League with a 3-1 victory sending them top of the group on Wednesday.
Jurrien Timber headed Mikel Arteta’s side in front from a corner after 22 minutes only for Bayern teenager Lennart Karl to equalise in style before halftime.
Arsenal dominated the second half though and showed their immense squad depth as substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scored the goals to make it five wins from five.
It proved a quiet return to north London for prolific Bayern striker Harry Kane as his side suffered their first defeat of the season in all competitions.
With Inter Milan dropping points, Arsenal are now the only team in the competition with a maximum 15 points and look all but assured of a place in the last 16.
Six points clear at the top of the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively and boasting flawless records after four games in the Champions League, Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been Europe’s stand-out teams this season.
The sides met in the quarter-finals two years ago with Bayern coming out on top, but Arsenal have moved to another level since that clash and went into Wednesday’s game on a 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
With last-16 spots already looking safe for both clubs, the 15th meeting between them lacked jeopardy but bragging rights and psychological blows were up for grabs.
It was Arsenal who emerged with both, thanks to a win that will reverberate around Europe.
Bayern, backed by a vociferous travelling army, looked confident early on but were stunned in the 22nd minute when Arsenal scored the kind of devastatingly simple goal that has become their trademark.
Bukayo Saka swung in a corner, Myles Lewis-Skelly got the slightest of nudges on Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer and Timber rose to glance a header into the net.
The lead lasted only 10 minutes though as Bayern responded with another move right off the training ground.
After a long passing sequence, Joshua Kimmich’s raking pass found Michael Olise whose volleyed pass across the face of goal was met by 17-year-old Karl who became the first player to score against Arsenal in the Champions League this season.
While Kane was largely peripheral, Karl was impressive and should probably have scored again early in the second half when he burst into the area but shot straight at goalkeeper David Raya.
After that Arsenal took charge.
Mikel Merino went close when he nodded a header down and just wide from a Declan Rice corner, Cristhian Mosquera was denied by Neuer and the keeper then saved from Rice after the midfielder’s marauding run.
Bayern’s defence was creaking though and Arsenal’s pressure paid off in the 69th minute when Riccardo Calafiori fired in a cross from the left that fellow substitute Madueke turned in for his first goal for the club.
Neuer than had a moment to forget when he charged out of his goal eight minutes later trying to cut out Eberechi Eze’s pass but got nowhere near the ball and Martinelli was left with the simple task of shooting into an empty net.
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