Arsenal took the lead, fell behind and still left the Allianz Arena with a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the third round of the Champions League league phase, played on the evening of Wednesday 21 October European time (early on Thursday 22 October in Vietnam). Eberechi Eze put Arsenal ahead in the 25th minute, Alphonso Davies equalised in the 35th from a Harry Kane pass and Kane scored a second-half penalty before Declan Rice levelled in the 82nd minute.
How the match unfolded
Bukayo Saka went down clutching his thigh barely 10 minutes in after what The Guardian described as an innocuous tussle with Davies. His replacement, Eze, made an instant impact. Martin Odegaard found him with a long pass and Eze let the ball bounce before finishing into the far corner. According to Arsenal.com, it was the earliest goal by an Arsenal substitute in a Champions League match since Thierry Henry struck in the 21st minute against Sparta Prague in October 2005.
Kane then took charge. Dropping to halfway, he slid a through ball for Davies, who finished past David Raya. After the break, Kane's shot struck Jurrien Timber's arm, and he converted the penalty himself for 2-1.
The equaliser was built patiently. Substitute Viktor Gyokeres laid the ball off and Rice drove into the box to fire low into the far corner.
Background and key numbers
A timeline compiled by KBVN+ from The Guardian and Arsenal.com puts the result in context:
- 2013: Arsenal win 2-0 at Bayern in the last-16 second leg, their only away victory over the club, but go out on away goals.
- December 2013: Bayern lose 3-2 at home to Manchester City, their last home defeat in the Champions League group stage or league phase. The next 39 such games bring 37 wins and 2 draws.
- April 2024: a 2-2 draw with Bayern, the only previous time Arsenal had scored first, fallen behind and avoided defeat in the European Cup/Champions League.
- Last season: Arsenal beat Bayern 3-1 at the Emirates in the league stage.
| Stat | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kane's consecutive Champions League games with a goal | 10 (Cristiano Ronaldo's record is 11) | The Guardian, Arsenal.com |
| Kane's career goals against Arsenal | 16 (only Leicester, with 20, have conceded more) | The Guardian |
| Arsenal's unbeaten run in the league phase | 15 games | Arsenal.com |
| Standing after three rounds | Arsenal 7th (7 points), Bayern 14th (5 points) | Dân trí |
Bayern were without Joshua Kimmich for personal reasons, the suspended Michael Olise and the injured Jamal Musiala.
Saka worry for Arteta
The Guardian reported that Saka has a quad injury and was still moving very gingerly as he left the stadium. “It doesn’t look good at all but we have to wait and see,” Arteta said. “A player who has to come off with a really sharp pain is never good news.”
The manager wanted more than a point. “We take it, although that doesn’t mean we are really happy about it as we prepared to win,” he said, adding that Arsenal had been the better side in the first 25 minutes.
What comes next
According to Arsenal.com, Arsenal will host Everton in the Premier League at the Emirates on Saturday 24 October at 15:00 UK time, which is 21:00 in Vietnam according to Bongda24h's fixture list. Arteta's side are second in the Premier League. Their next Champions League match is away to Slavia Prague on 4 November. For Kane, attention turns to the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday 26 October, where The Guardian describes him as the favourite.
Our preview of Bayern Munich v Arsenal set out what was at stake before kick-off.