By Samuel A. November 27, 2025
Arsenal maintained their perfect start in the Champions League, making a statement against unbeaten Bayern and beating them 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium to end their 16 game unbeaten streak and go top of the league phase table. Three days after thrashing arch rivals Spurs in the North London derby, Mikel Arteta’s side produced another outstanding display in front of their fans to underline their status as not only strong Premier League contenders, but also major European contenders.
Jurrien Timber’s headed home from Bukayo Saka’s corner, but the lead didn’t last too long as it was cancelled out by 17 year old Lennart Karl in the first half, but the Gunners blew Bayern Munich away after the break.
Following a succession of set-piece chances, the second goal arrived when two substitutes combined as Riccardo Calafiori’s whipped cross was dispatched by Noni Madueke for his first Arsenal goal.
Their third came from a rapid breakaway as Eberechi Eze released substitute Martinelli, who beat Manuel Neuer to the ball and raced clear to finish into an empty net to mark his first appearance in a month with a goal.
Arsenal were good value for the two-goal lead and even though Lennart Karl’s well-worked goal ended their run of clean sheets in the competition, a fifth consecutive win puts them three points clear of second placed Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the league phase table.
The only blemish on their evening was an injury to Leandro Trossard, who had to be replaced by Madueke in the first half. “He said he felt something and we didn’t want to take any risks,” said Arteta after the game.
On the brighter side, there was a comeback appearance from captain Martin Odegaard, who came on as a late substitute having recovered from his knee issue. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said after the game: “I have to praise our players because I think they had an incredible match against, in my opinion, the best team in Europe. Individually, we were immense in resolving all the challenges that this team brings to the table. They know how hard we worked to prepare for every single game.
We know that the margins are super small. We started the week really well against the Spurs, winning here at home. Today is another massive victory, but that’s it. Now I’m going to go home, have a nice dinner, and tomorrow morning we’ll start to prepare for Stamford Bridge.
We’ve certainly been very, very consistent in the competition so far, but it’s just the beginning. We are so pleased with what we’ve seen today. Again, the energy that we created in the stadium, what the team transmits, the energy that we bring, the quality that we play with. It’s incredible and we have to maintain that because it’s still very early.”
The Gunners now move on to Sunday’s game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where they will aim to extend their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League as they continue their fight for silverware on multiple fronts.
