Bayern Munich vs Arsenal LIVE: Champions League result as Gunners exit after Joshua Kimmich goal
Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal (3-2 agg.): Joshua Kimmich’s powerful header took Thomas Tuchel’s side through
Bayern Munich progressed to the Champions League semi-finals as Joshua Kimmich’s powerful second half header knocked Arsenal out of Europe.
With the tie delicately poised following a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium last week, Kimmich thundered home the only goal of the second leg to give the hosts a deserved victory. A tight, tense affair had always looked likely to be settled by a single intervention, and the right-back provided it, surging from deep to latch on to Raphael Guerreiro’s cross and finishing with aplomb.
Bayern had twice struck the woodwork in quick succession earlier in the half, while Arsenal, despite having plenty of possesion, struggled to regularly test Manuel Neuer in goal. Defeat in Munich continued a damaging week for Mikel Arteta’s side, their Premier League hopes having taken a significant blow in a defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday.
But victory for Thomas Tuchel’s host kept their trophy hopes alive after Bayer Leverkusen secured the Bundesliga title at the weekend. The 3-2 aggregate win sets up an encounter with fellow heavyweights Real Madrid for a place in the Champions League final at Wembley.
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Arsenal’s inability to rise to the big occasion means yet another missed opportunity
Arsenal go out of the Champions League, without ever having really been in this game. That is maybe the greatest lament from a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich that has knocked them out of Europe, and left the grim prospect of this once promising season just proving to be another that goes unfulfilled.
Arsenal simply didn’t rise to this.
Arsenal’s inability to rise to the occasion means yet another missed opportunity
Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal (3-2 agg): Joshua Kimmich’s header sent the Germans through
Why Premier League is now at risk of missing out on fifth Champions League spot
The Premier League’s hopes of gaining an extra Champions League spot in next season’s revamped competition have been dealt a blow following another poor night of results in Europe.
The Champions League is being expanded to a 36-team tournament from 2024/25 and two of the extra four places will be awarded to countries whose teams perform best in this season’s European competitions.
As confirmed by Uefa on their website, England currently sits third in the race, behind Italy and Germany, which would mean Serie A and the Bundesliga receive a fifth Champions League place next season.
England were considered favourites to claim the fifth Champions League spot, with Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa all considered among the favourites to win European titles this campaign in their respective competitions.
But quarter-final defeats for Manchester City against Real Madrid and Arsenal to Bayern Munich means there is now a real chance that England’s coefficient will not be high enough to claim one of the two extra spots.
Why Premier League is now at risk of missing out on fifth Champions League spot
It was a ‘painful’ night for English clubs in the Champions League as Manchester City and Arsenal crashed out of Europe
Why the rest of Europe is celebrating the Premier League’s night of failure in the Champions League
It remains as much of a surprise as the Premier League’s total wipe-out. In the final minutes of Arsenal’s defeat to Bayern Munich, a player as brilliant as Bukayo Saka had the chance to just go for it… and didn’t. From a free-kick on the edge of the Bayern box, he played the ball short, and Arsenal passively passed the ball again. They kept control but couldn’t keep their place in the Champions League. It was a disappointingly meek elimination for a team that have been characterised by their intensity.
There are a number of possible reasons for Arsenal’s exit. They might have been fatigued. They might have just been tactically subdued by a cannier Bayern Munich. It was possibly too soon in their development as a team, as Mikel Arteta indicated, or maybe too late in their season.
The worst element for Arsenal is that it seemed a reversion to the most prosaic and flat of their football from the 2020-21 period. That was when Arteta was methodically trying to build his philosophy but it often meant overly controlled displays, as if the squad was trying to gradually develop the muscle memory needed to instinctively play his football.
By Miguel Delaney
Why Europe is celebrating the Premier League’s night of failure
‘Something must be done about the Premier League’ is a common refrain in European club boardrooms - so Real Madrid and Bayern Munich duly obliged, knocking out Manchester City and Arsenal to leave no English clubs at the semi-final stage for only the second time since 2017
Mikel Arteta responds to ‘painful’ defeat as Arsenal’s season threatens to unravel
Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to end their season in “beautiful” fashion after they were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.
The Gunners lost 1-0 at the Allianz Arena as Joshua Kimmich’s second-half header was enough to seal a semi-final against Real Madrid with a 3-2 aggregate victory.
It followed on from a 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa on Sunday that has dented Arsenal’s Premier League title chances.
They travel to Wolves on Saturday evening needing a reaction to a poor week and Arteta feels his side will approach the game in the correct manner.
Mikel Arteta: What Arsenal still have to play for is beautiful
The Gunners were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich to exit the Champions League 3-2 on aggregate.
Harry Kane has a more upbeat natter with TNT after reaching the Champions League semi-finals
“An unbelievable win. It’s been a tough season for us, we’ve had to fight and really grind at times, and today was that. We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we knew at home that we could make a difference with our fans there. It was what we expected, a tough game, a tight game. A great goal from Josh made the difference from us and then it was about defending and keeping that clean sheet. To reach the semi-finals is a great achievement for us and we can enjoy this one.
“Always in these types of games, the first half can be a bit cagey. We said at half-time just to up the tempo, up the pressing and create more chances, and that’s what we did. Even towards the end there, we probably could have finished it off and made it easier for ourselves, but these games are tough and you just have to find a way to get through them.”
Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports after Arsenal’s Champions League exit
“At the moment, it is a gutted dressing room. I cannot find the right words to give them. We tried against a team that had a lot of experience, and through the tie, the margins have been very small. We gave them two goals in a tie, that was a big advantage to give away, and you see that the margin of error was zero. We made a mistake defending the box and conceded a goal, and then it was difficult.
“A mistake from them or a magic moment is what normally unlocks this tie. Today, we had a lot of moments of dominance, but that spark around the box is what you need for victory.
“The club has been out of the Champions League for seven years. We all wanted to be in semi-finals or final, but you can see from many other clubs that it takes time to get to that stage. We are very close, that is the reality.
“We have six games to go, we are two points behind [Manchester] City. It is a very difficult schedule for everyone and we have to go through the pain tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll get up with the same attitude we came here with and hopefully beat Wolves.”
Arsenal exit the Champions League
Mikel Arteta will really feel that was a missed opportunity. Arsenal were far from blown away tonight, playing the game at their preferred tempo for long periods abut never quite having enough. It’s Premier League or bust now.
Bayern Munich beat Arsenal to progress to Champions League semi-final
A big result for Thomas Tuchel, that, the manager again proving himself as a shrewd schemer in this competition even in a season of turmoil. Who will Bayern play? Extra time is required in Manchester to decide their semi-final opponents...
Man City vs Real Madrid LIVE: Latest Champions League updates
The Champions League quarter-final tie is in the balance after a six-goal thriller in Spain last week
FT: Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal (3-2 agg.)
A damaging week for Arsenal, defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend a significant blow to their title hopes and their European dreams dashed here. They never managed to create enough clearcut chances tonight - their wait for a return to the semi-finals of this competion goes on.
FT: Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal (3-2 agg.)
Bayern Munich are through! Their trophy hunt goes on, a narrow win on the night enough to take them through after securing a draw in London last week. A strong defensive showing from Thomas Tuchel’s men, Eric Dier and Matthijs de Ligt excellent at the back to hold firm until the end.
Arsenal are OUT!
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