Bayern Munich’s defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday was a momentous one for a number of reasons, with Mikel Arteta’s side making their mark one of Europe’s top sides.
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From an Arsenal fan point of view, Wednesday’s win over Bayern Munich was long overdue. It had been more than 10 years since the Gunners’ last victory over the midweek’s visitors, despite having played four knockout matches against them during that time.
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But the 3-1 result was also significant for Bayern themselves, as it was their first defeat in all competitions this season. Of the team’s previous 18 matches, 17 had been wins, with only one draw.
In the Champions League specifically, Bayern had won their opening four games, including beating Pot 1 opponents Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. They were the league leaders, scoring 14 goals and conceding just three.
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Yet Bayern found it more difficult to create and more difficult to defend against Arsenal than against any team for a long time.
OptaJoe report that the German side allowed 2.72 expected goals (xG) against Arsenal, the most they’ve conceded in any match under Vincent Kompany. Given Kompany has been in charge for 75 games now, that’s a significant feat.
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At the other end, Bayern recorded a season low for xG, with just 0.69. OptaJoe reports that they also posted lows for shots and touches in the opposition penalty area.
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Of course, none of that would matter if Arsenal didn’t take their chances, and if Bayern took the few they created to win the match. But the xG very well reflected the actual scoreline, as Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Martinelli scored for that 3-1 victory.
Arsenal will feel encouraged that they can handle any opponent at the moment, which is exactly the mentality they need to take into Sunday’s game away to the Premier League’s second-placed club Chelsea.
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