Arsenal left the Allianz Arena with a point, their unbeaten Champions League record and the feeling that they had passed a serious examination. Wednesday’s 2-2 draw also kept Bayern Munich without a defeat after three league-phase games, leaving Vincent Kompany’s side on five points.
The visitors lost Bukayo Saka to an injury inside the opening ten minutes, yet the change worked in their favour. Eberechi Eze, sent on in his place, raced onto a long pass from Martin Ødegaard and finished into the far corner after 25 minutes. An offside flag went up, but a video review confirmed the goal.
Harry Kane, who rarely needs an invitation to hurt Arsenal, then turned provider. His perfectly weighted ball from deep released Alphonso Davies, and the Canadian beat David Raya to level ten minutes later. Kane finished the job himself after the hour: his shot struck Jurriën Timber’s arm, and he converted the penalty to make it 2-1. That kept alive his run of scoring in ten successive Champions League games and took his tally against Arsenal to 16, the legacy of many derbies with Tottenham.
Mikel Arteta’s team responded with patience rather than panic. With eight minutes left, substitute Viktor Gyökeres laid the ball into the path of Declan Rice, who drove into the box and slid a low shot past Manuel Neuer. Timber nearly stole victory in stoppage time, only for the veteran goalkeeper to tip his effort over. Neuer had already produced a remarkable stop to deny a Bruno Guimarães header.
Bayern were short of key men: Joshua Kimmich missed the match after a family bereavement, Jamal Musiala is injured and Michael Olise was suspended. Kane’s attention now turns to Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, where he is among the leading names, before Bayern visit Atlético Madrid on 3 November.
