Iwobi on target, as Arsenal stun Bayern
ARSENAL were outplayed for long periods by Bayern Munich before salvaging a last-gasp draw and then winning 3-2 on penalties in a Shanghai friendly yesterday.
Reserve goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the unlikely hero for the Premier League side, saving Juan Bernat’s soft spot kick after Arsenal substitute Alex Iwobi made it 1-1 right at the end of normal time.
It may only have been a friendly and Arsenal emerged victorious, but it made for painful viewing at times for manager Arsene Wenger, whose side suffered a 10-2 aggregate drubbing to Bayern in last sea- son’s Champions League. Robert Lewandowski needed just nine minutes to fire Bayern ahead from the penalty spot as the German champions dominated before Iwobi headed in at the death.
There will be no Champions League for Arsenal this term and a gulf in class was evident.
At one point in the opening period at Shanghai Stadium, where temperatures hovered around 36 degrees Celsius, Wenger had his arms outstretched in frustration.
And at the end of a first half in which Bayern could have scored another five times but for goalkeeper Petr Cech, Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil booted the ball high into the air in anger.
The future of the German international, and that of Chilean star Alexis Sanchez, is in major doubt with both stalling over new contracts.
Sanchez is enjoying extra time off and is not in China after his involvement in the Confederations Cup.
But he may not have made a difference against Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who took the lead after Ainsley Maitland-niles had brought down Bernat in the box and Lewandowski did the rest. Iwobi’s injury-time leveller sent the game straight to penalties.
HULL left-back Andy Robertson is to have a medical at Liverpool yesterday after the clubs agreed an £8m deal that could rise to £10m.
Scotland international Robertson, 23, will be the Reds’ third summer signing.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Kevin Stewart is set to join Hull in an £8m deal.
The midfielder, 23, has been allowed to leave the squad in Hong Kong, where Liverpool are competing in the Premier League Asia Trophy, to travel for talks with the Championship club.
In other transfer news, RB Leipzig’s owner says the German club have rejected a 75m euro (£66m) bid for midfielder Naby Keita.
The 22-year-old Guinea international is another Liverpool transfer target.
Dietrich Mateschitz told German tabloid Bild: “We were flattered when an offer of 75m euros for Naby Keita recently landed at our door. No way. He still has a contract and he will fulfil it.”
Podcast: ‘£70m for Keita would be an incredible risk’ Keita, who scored eight goals and provided eight assists in his debut season for Leipzig after joining from Red Bull Salzburg last year, has a contract that runs until 2020.
However, there is a £48m release clause that can be unlocked next summer.