November 27, (THEWILL) — Arsenal defeated Bayern Munich 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening to maintain a perfect record in the UEFA Champions League group phase. The victory extended the Gunners’ winning run to five matches from five and left them sitting at the summit of the standings.
Jurrien Timber gave the home side an early advantage when he headed in from Bukayo Saka’s corner delivery. Bayern responded through teenager, Lennart Karl, who fired past David Raya after meeting Serge Gnabry’s precise cross-field pass with a clinical finish. The first half ended level despite several chances for both teams, with Saka and Mikel Merino going close for Arsenal, whilst Karl squandered a one-on-one opportunity before the interval.
The match turned decisively in Arsenal’s favour after the break. Substitute Noni Madueke broke the deadlock when he converted from close range following substitute Riccardo Calafiori’s delivery into the penalty area. Fellow substitute, Gabriel Martinelli, then sealed the points after Manuel Neuer misjudged his positioning and rushed off his line, allowing the Brazilian to round him and slot into an empty net.
The result condemned Bayern to their first loss of the campaign in any competition. Arsenal controlled proceedings in the second period and created numerous openings, with Neuer forced into a fine save to deny Saka’s powerful strike before the substitutes made their impact.
The Gunners will look to maintain their flawless start when the group phase continues, whilst Bayern must regroup following their first setback of the season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
