Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has piled praise on a Gunners star who perhaps went unnoticed during their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.
Arsenal end Bayern Munich unbeaten streak with 3-1 victory
Vincent Kompany’s Bundesliga champions went into Wednesday night’s Champions League clash off the back of a season-long unbeaten streak, winning all but one of their total games in all competitions.
It was Arsenal’s biggest test on paper, but Arteta’s side passed it with flying colours.
Arsenal delivered a commanding second-half performance to defeat Bayern at the Emirates Stadium, extending their perfect Champions League record to five wins from five matches and establishing themselves as genuine European contenders.
Arteta’s side opened the scoring through Jurrien Timber, who powered home a header from Bukayo Saka’s corner after 22 minutes. The Dutchman’s near-post run proved decisive as he guided his effort beyond Manuel Neuer, continuing Arsenal’s remarkable threat from set-pieces this season.
Arteta reveals what he told Calafiori right before Arsenal assist in Bayern win
The Spaniard gave a key instruction.
Bayern responded ten minutes later when 17-year-old sensation Lennart Karl announced himself on the big stage with a composed finish. Joshua Kimmich’s accurate pass found ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, who cushioned the ball into Karl’s path and allowed the teenager to volley emphatically into the roof of the net — with the home side conceding their first goal in Europe this season.
However, the second period belonged entirely to the Gunners, who began to dominate.
Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool |
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Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest |
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal |
Arsenal 1-1 Man City |
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal |
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal |
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos |
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham |
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal |
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid |
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace |
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton |
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal |
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal |
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal |
Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham |
Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich |
Noni Madueke, introduced as a first-half substitute for Leandro Trossard, broke the deadlock with his first Arsenal goal after two months out with a knee injury. The winger’s clinical finish, feeding off fellow sub Riccardo Calafiori, restored the lead and shifted momentum decisively in the home side’s favour.
Gabriel Martinelli sealed the victory seven minutes later after capitalizing on a catastrophic error from Neuer, with the result sending Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Champions League table and sealing their first victory over Bayern in a decade.
Captain Martin Odegaard made his comeback from injury as a late substitute too, providing further encouragement ahead of Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash with second-placed Chelsea.Declan Rice was simply sensational against Bayern, with the midfielder dominating in midfield and causing Kompany’s men all sorts of problems.Arteta’s substitutions were inspired as well, but one man who delivered yet again was summer signing Cristhian Mosquera.
Mikel Arteta praises Cristhian Mosquera after Arsenal display in Bayern win
The young Spaniard came in to partner William Saliba in place of Piero Hincapie and the injured Gabriel Magalhaes, and despite being scarcely mentioned by critics, Mosquera impressed against Bayern.
Arteta, speaking in his post-match press conference, reserved special praise for the ex-Valencia star.
“I think he was really good,” Arteta told reporters.
“With Piero [Hincapié], we need to understand where he’s coming from. He came from Ecuador after playing two 90s in big trouble – played the derby, the first start that he had in the Premier League, and he finished the game very, very tired. [But] that’s the good thing that we have Mosquera who he can play in different positions. He was superb I think, both together with William [Saliba].”
Those within Arsenal believe the 21-year-old could become one of world football’s best centre-backs in the next few years, and nothing we have seen has given us any reason to doubt that theory.Mosquera made his Premier League debut in Saliba’s stead against Liverpool at Anfield in August, barely setting a foot wrong despite being given a baptism of fire.The youngster does a quite simply brilliant job whenever called upon, and the initial £13 million that Arsenal paid Valencia for his services back in June is beginning to look like one of the bargains of 2025.
