Bayern Munich vs Arsenal LIVE: Champions League result as Gunners exit after Joshua Kimmich goal | OneFootball

'Painful but we have to learn from it' - Arteta on Arsenal's Champions League exit

Bayern Munich progressed to the Champions League semi-finals as Joshua Kimmich’s powerful second half header knocked Arsenal out of Europe.

With the tie delicately poised following a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium last week, Kimmich thundered home the only goal of the second leg to give the hosts a deserved victory. A tight, tense affair had always looked likely to be settled by a single intervention, and the right-back provided it, surging from deep to latch on to Raphael Guerreiro’s cross and finishing with aplomb.

Bayern had twice struck the woodwork in quick succession earlier in the half, while Arsenal, despite having plenty of possesion, struggled to regularly test Manuel Neuer in goal. Defeat in Munich continued a damaging week for Mikel Arteta’s side, their Premier League hopes having taken a significant blow in a defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday.

But victory for Thomas Tuchel’s host kept their trophy hopes alive after Bayer Leverkusen secured the Bundesliga title at the weekend. The 3-2 aggregate win sets up an encounter with fellow heavyweights Real Madrid for a place in the Champions League final at Wembley.

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Why the rest of Europe is celebrating the Premier League’s night of failure in the Champions League

It remains as much of a surprise as the Premier League’s total wipe-out. In the final minutes of Arsenal’s defeat to Bayern Munich, a player as brilliant as Bukayo Saka had the chance to just go for it… and didn’t. From a free-kick on the edge of the Bayern box, he played the ball short, and Arsenal passively passed the ball again. They kept control but couldn’t keep their place in the Champions League. It was a disappointingly meek elimination for a team that have been characterised by their intensity.

There are a number of possible reasons for Arsenal’s exit. They might have been fatigued. They might have just been tactically subdued by a cannier Bayern Munich. It was possibly too soon in their development as a team, as Mikel Arteta indicated, or maybe too late in their season.

The worst element for Arsenal is that it seemed a reversion to the most prosaic and flat of their football from the 2020-21 period. That was when Arteta was methodically trying to build his philosophy but it often meant overly controlled displays, as if the squad was trying to gradually develop the muscle memory needed to instinctively play his football.

By Miguel Delaney

‘Something must be done about the Premier League’ is a common refrain in European club boardrooms - so Real Madrid and Bayern Munich duly obliged, knocking out Manchester City and Arsenal to leave no English clubs at the semi-final stage for only the second time since 2017

Jamie Braidwood18 April 2024 09:37

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Harry Kane has a more upbeat natter with TNT after reaching the Champions League semi-finals

“An unbelievable win. It’s been a tough season for us, we’ve had to fight and really grind at times, and today was that. We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we knew at home that we could make a difference with our fans there. It was what we expected, a tough game, a tight game. A great goal from Josh made the difference from us and then it was about defending and keeping that clean sheet. To reach the semi-finals is a great achievement for us and we can enjoy this one.

“Always in these types of games, the first half can be a bit cagey. We said at half-time just to up the tempo, up the pressing and create more chances, and that’s what we did. Even towards the end there, we probably could have finished it off and made it easier for ourselves, but these games are tough and you just have to find a way to get through them.”

Harry Latham-Coyle17 April 2024 22:34

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Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports after Arsenal’s Champions League exit

“At the moment, it is a gutted dressing room. I cannot find the right words to give them. We tried against a team that had a lot of experience, and through the tie, the margins have been very small. We gave them two goals in a tie, that was a big advantage to give away, and you see that the margin of error was zero. We made a mistake defending the box and conceded a goal, and then it was difficult.

“A mistake from them or a magic moment is what normally unlocks this tie. Today, we had a lot of moments of dominance, but that spark around the box is what you need for victory.

“The club has been out of the Champions League for seven years. We all wanted to be in semi-finals or final, but you can see from many other clubs that it takes time to get to that stage. We are very close, that is the reality.

“We have six games to go, we are two points behind [Manchester] City. It is a very difficult schedule for everyone and we have to go through the pain tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll get up with the same attitude we came here with and hopefully beat Wolves.”

Harry Latham-Coyle17 April 2024 22:28

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FT: Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal (3-2 agg.)

A damaging week for Arsenal, defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend a significant blow to their title hopes and their European dreams dashed here. They never managed to create enough clearcut chances tonight - their wait for a return to the semi-finals of this competion goes on.

Harry Latham-Coyle17 April 2024 22:00