Trossard comes to Gunners’ rescue to deny Bayern
ARSENAL 2 BAYERN MUNICH 2
Fortune favours the brave. With the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final and maybe the tie itself drifting away from Arsenal – and with Harry Kane coming back to haunt them – Mikel Arteta decided to go for it.
The Arsenal manager brought on Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard, went more attacking, more risky and was rewarded with the pair combining to draw Arsenal level and leave next week’s meeting in Munich so finely balanced.
Still Bayern will be the happier with this result even if away goals no longer count.
Given their pedigree and history in this competition, despite the puzzling wretchedness of their domestic form, they will surely back themselves to prevail at the Allianz Arena.
Especially as they have Kane. And so the former Tottenham Hotspur striker returned to north London and damaged Arsenal’s chances of reaching the semi-finals for the first time in 15 years.
Kane scored from the penalty spot, there was no doubt he would, and in his first season at Bayern it was his 39th goal in 38 games. It is an astonishing, if not unexpected return.
It was also his 15th in just 20 games against Arsenal. How he loves to face them with six of those goals scored at the Emirates – more than any other opposition player since the stadium opened in 2006.
Mind you, Kane was lucky enough to avoid a red card on his return after catching Gabriel with a swinging elbow during their quarter-final first leg.
The Bayern Munich striker was booked by the Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg after his right arm made contact with Gabriel underneath the Brazilian’s jaw when backing up to contest an aerial challenge.
Kane protested his innocence and said the contact was accidental, but Arsenal wanted a more significant punishment and appealed for a straight red card after Gabriel was left on the turf holding his face.
The incident was not reviewed by VAR, much to the frustration of the Arsenal fans.
To rub salt into Arsenal’s own wounds, Bayern’s first goal was claimed by Serge Gnabry – their former winger – and it could still have ended in defeat only for substitute Kingsley Coman to stab a shot against the post in the 89th minute.
Arsenal will argue they should have won it as after that Bukayo Saka went down as he was met by Manuel Neuer. No penalty was given, despite the home side’s appeals, but the Gunners will now go to Germany with more than just hope of making the final four.