I heard four words in 80th minute against Bayern Munich that speak volumes about Arsenal

There was a special atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night as Bayern Munich and Harry Kane fell to Arsenal

There was a confidence brewing among the Arsenal players and fans that they could get the job done when Bayern Munich - the team that had caused them so much pain in the Champions League in the past - descended on the Emirates Stadium for a game under the lights.

Yet, it wasn’t particularly shocking when, for all of their attacking brilliance and out-of-possession domination, the Gunners had to settle for a 2-2 draw once the final whistle blew on the first leg of their quarter-final clash, two seasons ago.

Mikel Arteta’s men scored first and were the better side overall when the two sides faced off in north London in April 2024, but they lacked the one crucial ingredient that Bayern team still had over them - a wealth of experience in the competition.

Harry Kane emphatically celebrated scoring his penalty in front of the crestfallen Gunners support, before Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern completely shut off Arsenal’s right flank in the second leg at the Allianz Arena. Arteta’s men had no answers for that, suffering a 1-0 defeat and being knocked out of the competition, disappointed but aware that they still lacked something.

In the 19 months since, Arsenal have hosted the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in high-stakes European fixtures. That meant that when Bayern returned to N5 on Wednesday night, there was still a sense of occasion at the Emirates but no longer a bewilderment or nervousness among the players or the fans.

A brilliant firework display carried the Gunners through from Sunday’s north London derby high, setting the tone for a riveting and fast-paced encounter between Europe’s top two sides at the minute.

Those unfamiliar with Arteta’s tactical evolution would have been surprised by just how much possession the home side conceded to the German champions in the opening 20 minutes of the affair. But the Spaniard had studied the game from two seasons ago where his team, while pressing high and dominating the ball, was repeatedly punished on the counter.

His latest approach, luring Vincent Kompany’s side into a false sense of security, was validated when Arsenal took the lead in the 22nd minute thanks to a sumptuous Bukayo Saka corner and Jurrien Timber’s header.

With the exception of teenage sensation Lennart Karl’s equaliser off the back of a move perfectly encapsulating the Germans’ precision, Arsenal’s self-belief and quality ensured a dominant second half in which substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli sealed a memorable 3-1 victory.

The Gunners were so comfortable in the latter stages that they goaded Harry Kane, public enemy No.1 since swapping the Arsenal academy for the all white strip of Tottenham. Having incessantly booed the Bayern striker whenever he received the ball, chants of “Harry, what’s the score?” rang around the Emirates with ten minutes of normal time to play.

Kane, who wasn’t particularly poor, ended the night without registering a single shot - a mind-blowing stat considering he had scored 24 goals in 18 appearances prior to the match. It was also emblematic of a larger problem Kompany faced particularly in the second half; utter domination in each phase of play. From defence to attack, second balls to set-plays.

The Gunners brought an 18 match unbeaten streak for Bayern to a crashing halt, handing them their first loss of the season while recording 2.72 xG, the most Kompany’s men have conceded in his 75 games in charge.

It was no surprise that the Emirates was rocking at full time given the Gunners were six points clear in the Premier League and now topping the Champions League, remaining as the only team to win all five of their fixtures in the competition.

The swagger with which Arteta’s side are playing at the moment has not been seen in north London since the heights of Arsene Wenger’s reign in the early noughties. Even those legendary teams were not so impressive in terms of their defensive solidity, nor as blessed with an abundance of quality in depth.

That was perhaps best shown by the fact Cristhian Mosquera stepped in for Piero Hincapie, who had stepped in for Gabriel Magalhaes beforehand, to deliver a quietly monstrous display. Or the fact neither of their two main strikers were fit enough to play. Or captain Martin Odegaard only being required to make a cameo off the bench.

Kane summed up after the game exactly why Arsenal are so confident they can win an elusive major honour this season, saying: “In the second half we lost too many duels and in the end they punished us for that. There’s a reason why they’re top of the Premier League. They’ve got good structure, they win first and second balls and with set pieces we knew they were going to be dangerous.”

A short trip to west London follows this weekend, where a win over Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea would take Arsenal nine points clear of the currently second-placed Blues. After that, the wind will certainly be in their sails ahead of the most notoriously difficult stretch of the season.