TOTTENHAM on Sunday afternoon, Harry Kane on Wednesday night.
What a week it’s been for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal – dishing out good hidings to those they love to hate the most.
After substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli had sent Arsenal clear at the summit of the Champions League table, with its only 100 per cent record, Bayern Munich suffered scornful cries of ‘are you Tottenham in disguise?’
Former Spurs goal-machine Kane, never a popular visitor here, had riled the locals by claiming that the trend towards set-piece dominance had made Premier League football less entertaining to watch this season.
So dead-ball specialists Arsenal, naturally, grabbed the lead from a corner – Jurrien Timber’s header being cancelled out by Bayern’s teenage starlet Lennart Karl before half-time.
Yet with Declan Rice outstanding and Arteta’s strength in depth again apparent from the impact of his cubs, the Gunners earned a thoroughly-deserved victory which made their passage into the last 16 as good as certain.
Madueke’s winner was his first goal for Arsenal – nicely timed before he returns to his former club Chelsea for a meeting of the Premier League’s top two.
The England winger had not been a popular signing in the summer yet he had impressed for club and country before a two-month injury lay-off and will now be raring for a crack at the club who sold him for £52million.
According to Uefa’s monster group-stage table, these were the two finest clubs in Europe – and both well clear in their domestic leagues too.
Bayern arrived here on the back of 17 wins from 18 unbeaten matches this season, having scored a whopping 64 goals in the process.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
Kane had netted 24 of them – and had scored six previous goals at the Emirates, five of them from the penalty spot.
The England captain was struggling to get involved early on. At one point, he was back on the edge of his own box tussling with Bukayo Saka.
On the rare occasions he touched the ball, there were pantomime boos but none of the spite from North London derbies gone by and none of the fervour we’d have heard had this been a knock-out match.
Bayern used to eject Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal teams from Europe most seasons and they also defeated Arteta’s side in the quarter-final two seasons ago but the Gunners were the sharper side.
William Saliba headed wide from a Declan Rice free-kick and on 22 minutes they were in front from – guess what? – a corner.
Saka delivered to the front post, where Timber netted with a glancing header. Manuel Neuer complained long and hard as did his manager Vinny Kompany but unless goalkeepers can claim free-kicks for having weak flapping hands in the Bundesliga, it was difficult to work out their gripe.
Eberechi Eze, the hat-trick hero of Sunday’s derby evisceration, had started quietly.
Yet he showed great feet to bring down a long ball and exchange passes with Mikel Merino only to drag his shot wide under pressure.
So Arsenal were very much ascendant when Bayern equalised.
Josh Kimmich sprayed a diagonal pass out to Michael Olise and Eze’s former Crystal Palace mate nipped behind Myles Lewis-Skelly to cushion a volleyed centre for the 17-year-old Karl to lash home.
It was the first goal Arsenal had shipped in the Champions League this season – although they still hadn’t conceded to an adult.
Soon, Josip Stanisic was squandering a chance to give Bayern the lead, shooting wide across goal as Arsenal hit the snooze button.
Leandro Trossard was forced off through injury and replaced by Madueke before Arteta threw a wobbler, demanding a booking for Konrad Laimer, earning a yellow for himself.
Early in the second half, a stray pass from Kimmich ought to have been dispatched by Saka but Neuer managed to tip his shot over.
Every Arsenal corner was creating panic and confusion in the Bayern defence, although Merino spurned a couple of decent headed chances.
Arsenal are still without all three of their natural centre-forward options.
Rice was sent racing though on goal but was denied by the out-stretched leg of Neuer.
But when the German side attacked, they seemed intent on targeting Lewis-Skelly, who was being toasted by Olise and did not impress the watching Thomas Tuchel before he was hauled off in favour of Riccardo Calafiori.
The Italian was an instant improvement, surging forward and centring for Madueke to poke home at the back stick.
Soon, it was 3-1 as Neuer, the original sweeper-keeper, came hurtling way out of his box as Madueke played an artful pass for the newly-arrived Martinelli.
The Brazilian darted around the stranded Neuer and fired into an empty net to provoke glee around the Emirates.
Then came those crowing chants of ‘are you Tottenham in disguise?’ and ‘Harry, Harry what’s the score?’.
Black Friday sport travel bargains
FORGET the air fryer and step away from the discounted knitwear.
We have some amazing sport travel bargains this Black Friday.
🎯 Save 10% off the chance to see Luke Littler at next year’s Premier League Darts nights – just use the code PLDARTS10 — BOOK HERE
⚽ And get £30 off ticket and hotel packages to Man Utd, Man City and Liverpool home games — BOOK HERE
🏇 We have a range of offers for horse racing fans, including packages to the Cheltenham Festival – and a FREE extra night at the Dubai World Cup — BOOK HERE
🏁 How about 5% off all European Grand Prix races for 2026? Unlock the deals the code FORMULAONE5 — BOOK HERE
🇪🇸 And check out this deal to next year’s Spanish Grand Prix — a 7-night trip including flights, hotel and race tickets — NOW JUST £569pp
*If you click on a link in this article, we will earn affiliate revenue.
