Arsenal have German media running scared as shock man of the match handed out

The German media has reacted to Arsenal's impressive performance against Bayern Munich following their 3-1 win in the Champions League

Arsenal produced a statement 3-1 win against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, sending a clear message to their Champions League rivals. The Gunners are top of the league phase table, with a perfect record after five games, and swept aside the German champions at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s side opened the scoring through Jurrien Timber’s first-half header from a corner, adding another to their collection of set piece goals. Bayern equalised through Lennart Karl 10 minutes later, but Arsenal maintained their momentum in the second half.

After the Gunners created a string of chances, Noni Mdueke finally put Arteta’s team back in front with 20 minutes remaining. Gabriel Martinelli sealed the victory a few moments later after beating Manuel Neuer to a ball just beyond the halfway line and stroking it into an empty net.

It was a result that helped the Gunners banish any lingering memories of past defeats to Bayern as the Premier League leaders announced themselves as Champions League contenders. Here’s what the German media had to say about Arsenal’s display against Bayern.

Spiegel

The match report from Spiegel summed up the wider context of the result: “Arsenal are number one in Europe. Bayern are number one in Germany.” It was Bayern’s first defeat in 19 games, emphasising Arsenal’s feat.

Vincent Kompany’s side were criticised for their lack of attacking threat, compounded by Neuer’s latest mistake during a poor run of form. After the 39-year-old was outpaced for Martinelli’s decisive goal, Spiegel wrote: “It's not 2014 anymore, Manuel Neuer, it's 2025.”

The German outlet remarkably awarded Arsenal’s set piece coach Nicolas Jover man of the match. The report described Arsenal as a threat from every corner and free-kick, turning Bayern into “a panicked mess”.

Bild

Bild described Arsenal as “arguably the best football team in Europe right now” after their display against Bayern Munich. Arteta’s side were labelled Bayern’s toughest opponents of the season, though the publication saw reasons for optimism after Bayern’s unbeaten streak came to an end.

Vincent Kompany’s side have been instructed to “learn the right lessons from the pain”. However, Bild refused to solely blame Neuer’s errors for the loss.

The match report stated that Bayern had not been truly tested before facing Arsenal. As a result, the German champions “looked shaky and vulnerable again against Arsenal's counter-attacking machine”.

The outlet also identified set pieces as a defensive weakness that Kompany must address. However, it is claimed that this defeat could ultimately help Bayern improve after uncovering their shortcomings against the Gunners.

Suddeutsche Zeitung

German outlet Suddeutsche Zeitung has stated that Arsenal are leading contenders to win the Champions League. The opening line of its match report reads: "Tactical flexibility, perfected set pieces – and Declan Rice. Against Bayern Munich, it becomes clear why Arsenal are title favourites both domestically and internationally this season."

Arsenal's ability to score from a variety of scenarios was praised by the publication and used as a comparison to Bayern. Arsenal were described as "practically the antithesis of Kompany's Bayern Munich's one-size-fits-all strategy".

In a roundup of international media reports, Suddeutsche Zeitung stated that the rest of Europe was celebrating the end of Bayern's unbeaten run. Quoting a report from Spanish publication AS, Arsenal were called "the terror of Europe".

Ran

German publication Ran was prepared to declare Arsenal the best side in Europe after their performance against Bayern. Following a close first half, the Gunners showed their class after the break, with the gap between the two sides becoming clearer as the game wore on.

The match report said: "So pronounced, in fact, that at least for the moment, the question of who the best team in Europe is has been settled. Arsenal were at least slightly better in every aspect, and more likely significantly better."