MUNCHEN FOR LUNCHEN
RICE INSPIRES GUNNERS TO VICTORY OVER UNDEFEATED GERMAN GIANTS
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With flames and fireworks from The Emirates illuminating the London night sky, Arsenal, led by the inspirational Declan Rice, laid down a psychological marker by downing the 100% record in every competition so far, German giants, Bayern Munich, 3-1 in a memorable European night at The Carpet.
After a tight first half in which we lulled them into a false sense of security for 20 minutes, we went in all square at 1-1 via Set Piece FC. In the second half, however, it was one-way traffic, and once the switch flipped in Rice's psyche, there was no stopping us as he willed us to a deserved 3-1 victory.
THE LINEUPS
Our line-up had a surprise at centre half, with the excellent (again) Mosquera coming in for Hincapie, and the not-surprising (we called it) MLS replacing Calafiori. We also highlighted in our preview that it might have been a good time to rest Trossard and keep him fresh for Sunday. This turned out to be a prophecy of doom, as his calf exploded in the first half and is sure to miss the trip to The Bridge in four days.
Bayern sprung, what you would call a surprise, by starting seventeen-year-old Lennart Karl in the 10 role. That is to say, you would think it was a surprise until you see the kid in action. Wow. What a talent. Low centre of gravity, technically gifted, pacey and as we found out last night, has an eye for goal. We're calling it now. He will be going to the USA with Germany for the World Cup, and if Wirtz doesn't pull up his bootstraps, he'll be on the bench eating schnitzel, spectating.
THE MATCH
The match itself, to quote Jimmy Greaves, was most definitely a game of two halves. The first felt like Arsenal vs Man City games of old. Very tactical, very grandmaster chess as both teams weighed each other up and probed for openings. We found our stride after the 20-minute mark, and going in 1-1 at the break was probably a fair outcome.
The second half was a different story. It was one of complete and utter dominance. We don't know what inspirational light-bulb type speech Arteta gave the boys in the dressing room or what he spiked the Prime with, but we came out, channelling our inner Shania Twain, saying, "Bayern. That don't impress me much" and took the game over.
TALKING POINTS
In a game this huge, there were always going to be talking points.
One of them might have flown under the radar, and that is the pecking order that seems to have established itself within the squad, and, despite his goal, it's not looking good for Martinelli.
We noticed it at the Spuds game. Arteta replaced the departing Trossard with Madueke. Not Martinelli, Madueke. Then again, last night, when Leo went down, who did Arteta turn to? Yes, Madueke over Martinelli. We have to admit this seems a little unfair to the Brazilian. While Madueke was out injured, Martinelli has been balling in the Champions League, and his performances looked close to his best. More puzzling when you consider Martinelli looks more comfortable on the left than Noni. Last night's game was a perfect example. Madueke struggled, but when moved to the right and Martinelli to the left, both scored.
It may not seem like a huge deal, but Martinelli is now our third-choice LW. We're sure, again in a World Cup year, as we always remind you, he cannot be happy to let that continuously play out?
On the flip side, it's hard to argue with Arteta's choices and the outcomes. His subs (sorry, FINISHERS) combined for the crucial second (Calafiori to Madueke), and another sub sealed the deal with the third (Martinelli). Hey, we did say in the preview that Martinelli loves a Champions League match this season round. We were right again!
Another thing to note is that we have been banging on about this side's mental resilience. Young Karl's goal should really have been to serve as Bayern's springboard to take over the game, but we are built of sterner stuff this year. After they scored, they pretty much plateaued out. It was as good as it got. Mainly because we were just so determined not to let Bayern happen to us. We've been saying it all season, there is something built differently about this Arsenal. We are loving the 2025 version as much as any other team in recent memory.
HONOuRABLE MENTIONS
Much like the Spuds game, we could go on all night giving out honourable mentions to players before awarding our MOTM.
We'll start with the defence, and yes, we'll mention Timber. AGAIN. We swear he gets a near-post flick-on header chance from a corner at least once a game, and last night he cashed in. It's not just the goal, though. We all see the elite-level consistency game after game. We need his new deal signed and sealed pronto.
Another quick mention is for Mosquera. Overlooked for the NLD, there was no sulking, no toy throwing. He just came in last night, understood the assignment, and between him and Wilo, Kane never got a sniff—zero fuss.
Moving up the park, Zubi gets a shout-out. He didn't let his mistake in the NLD affect him in the slightest as he set the tempo and shielded our back four, oozing class as he went—a real player's player.
Next up is Saka. Not many people were talking about him after the game, but we thought he was close to MOTM. In games like these against top-level opponents, you need an out-ball. We lost count of how many times Saka received the ball and was the building block in moving us up the pitch. Time after time, with Laimer draped over his shoulder, he showed for a pass, kept possession and moved us forwards. It's such an essential and overlooked facet of the game. Without him, we would have spent most of our time hemmed in trying to get out. We were so impressed with the bravery and maturity of his performance.
Last HM goes to Mikel Merino. He absolutely ran his socks off for the cause and had emptied the tank by around the 75-minute mark. He stayed on (because we have no one else) and went from running on fumes to running on pure vibes. A true warrior's performance that hopefully goes a long way to endearing himself to the fans.
But we all know who the Man of the Match award is going to ...
MAN OF THE MATCH
Much like the Spuds game, this was an easy choice. As good as we thought Saka was, there was only one winner, and that was Declan Rice. Like big game, world-class players do, he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and dragged us over the finishing line. It's like he gave himself a stern look in the dressing room mirror and shouted, "REMEMBER THE WAR!!", went back out, and his sheer force of will bent the result in our favour. There isn't a player quite like him. He's all energy, power, and pace with quality in his work added into the mix. An elite performance, and let's be honest, it's not the first huge Champions League night he's been the difference maker.
LOOKING AHEAD
Now we pivot to Chelsea on Sunday at the Bridge in another colossal contest. Last weekend started with three huge games in a week. We have won two out of three so far. If we make it a hat trick of wins, then we are in a great position.
We have to keep reminding everyone that we are doing it without a centre forward and the best CB in the league, but we somehow keep on trucking. We are starting to see injured players come back to the squad. Let's hope Leo's injury isn't a sign of the injury gods balancing things out somehow. We need everyone fit and fresh if we are to achieve greatness, and trust us, we are on the verge of it. This team might actually be the best in the world right now.
See you tomorrow for the Chelsea preview. Much like Arsenal's insatiable trophy hunger, we keep on keeping on here at Arsenal Legion.