Champions League — Arsenal beats Bayern Munich after ten years to consolidate first place

Arsenal beat Bayern Munich for the first time in a decade to maintain their 100 percent record in this season’s UEFA Champions League with a 3-1 home win that left Mikel Arteta’s side clear at the top of the group on Wednesday.

Jurrien Timber gave Arsenal the lead after 22 minutes from a corner, after which teenager Lennart Karl equalized for the six-time European champions before half-time.

Arsenal dominated the second half and showed their enviable team strength as substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scored to make it five wins from five.

It proved to be 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 losing, Arsenal is now the only team in the competition with a maximum of fifteen points and seems almost assured of a place in the last sixteen.

“We went man-to-man with them in the second half and I thought we were excellent tonight,” said Declan Rice, who covered every blade of grass in midfield.

«The manager is so happy. It was a special European evening.»

With six points clear at the top of the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively and impeccable records after four games in the Champions League, Arsenal and Bayern Munich are the standouts in Europe this season.

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The sides met in the quarter-finals two years ago, with Bayern leading, but Arsenal have reached another level since that match and went into Wednesday’s match on a 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Although the 15th meeting between the clubs presented no danger, given the strength of the group, there were bragging rights and psychological blows to be had.

It was Arsenal who emerged with both, thanks to a statement win that will reverberate across Europe.

HUGE VICTORY

“Individually we were huge,” Arteta said. «Today is another huge win, now we go home, have a nice dinner and go to Stamford Bridge (to face Chelsea in the Premier League). The energy we have created in the stadium is incredible.»

Bayern, backed by a boisterous traveling army, exuded confidence early on but were stunned in the 22nd minute by the kind of devastatingly simple goal that Arsenal have made their trademark.

Bukayo Saka scored a corner, Myles Lewis-Skelly made trouble for Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer and Timber was able to put a header into the net.

The lead only lasted ten minutes when Bayern responded with another move straight from the training field.

After a long passing sequence, Joshua Kimmich’s diagonal pass found Michael Olise, whose volley pass across the goal was met by 17-year-old Kar,l, who became the first player to score against Arsenal in the Champions League this season.

While Kane, scorer of 26 goals for club and country this season, was largely shackled and taunted by the home fans, Karl was a livewire and should have scored again early in the second half when he broke through but shot straight at David Raya.

Then Arsenal swept Bayern aside.

Mikel Merino nodded down with a header that went just wide from a Rice corner. Cristhian Mosquera forced Neuer into a desperate block and the keeper then saved a shot from Rice after the midfielder ran into the area.

Bayern’s defense cracked 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 since joining from Chelsea.

Eight minutes later, Neuer had a moment to forget when he burst from his goal trying to cut out Eberechi Eze’s pass but couldn’t get near the ball, leaving Martinelli with the simple task of firing into an empty net.

Bayern dropped to third place as one of four clubs with twelve points, although with home games against Sporting and Union Saint-Gilloise they are in good form to secure a place in the top eight.

«I have to congratulate Arsenal, in the end it was a deserved win for them,» said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

“In the first half I felt like we could get ahead of it, but in the second half we let them stay in control.”

Published on November 27, 2025