Arsenal left Munich with a 2-2 Champions League draw after matching Bayern Munich through a demanding night at the Allianz Arena, but Bukayo Saka’s injury gave Mikel Arteta a concern beyond the point earned.
The result came in the third matchday of the league phase, with Arsenal resisting a Bayern side Arteta said normally overwhelms visiting teams at home. The Arsenal manager described the contest as one of the highest-level matches his team have played.
Quick facts
- Arsenal drew 2-2 away to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
- The match was part of the third round of the Champions League league phase.
- Bukayo Saka was forced off after suffering acute pain.
- Arteta said Arsenal’s medical staff were concerned and would need to assess the problem.
- Arsenal had to respond after Bayern scored from a penalty in the second half.
“What a match,” Arteta said after a game in which both sides looked to attack. He felt the quality of the opposition, the demands of the occasion and Arsenal’s own performance had produced a compelling contest.
Arsenal began strongly and, in Arteta’s view, did enough to deserve the opening goal. But Saka’s departure interrupted that start, forcing the visitors to alter their approach while he had been performing well.
Bayern found a goal, and the contest tightened further after the interval. Arteta believed Bayern started the second half slightly better, before Arsenal had to react again when the home side converted a penalty.
“We responded, without doubt,” Arteta said. He praised the spirit shown by his players and the quality they maintained under pressure in Munich.
The bigger worry was Saka. Arteta said the medical team were “a little concerned”, adding that it is never positive when a player has to come off because of sharp pain.
Further assessment will determine the extent of the problem, but Arteta did not hide his appreciation for the result. Having watched Bayern’s home Champions League matches over the last three years, he said he knew how often they had swept opponents aside with heavy scoring.
For Arsenal, the draw was therefore more than a routine league-phase point: it was evidence that they could withstand Bayern’s force in one of Europe’s most difficult away settings.
