Gunners fall short

Bayern Munich 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal recorded another positive but ultimately futile result at the formidable Allianz Arena yesterday with a draw which saw them exit the Champions League at the last 16 stage for the fourth successive season.

Having lost the home leg 2-0, Arsene Wenger selected an attacking line up with Podolski on the left flank and Oxlade-Chamberlain replacing Flamini in the central midfield role alongside Arteta. Having opted for such a forward thinking side it was assumed that the Gunners would attempt to start the game on the front foot, pressing Bayern high up the pitch as they had done so successfully during the opening stages of the first game. However Arsenal were actually content to sit back during the entire first half which seemed extremely odd, given the fact that Bayern really didn’t need to take the game to the Gunners. The home side were quite content to pass the ball amongst themselves with no real pressure placed on them until the ball was played forward to an attacking player.

The onus was on Wenger’s team to create a breakthrough, but whenever they regained possession, Arsenal were simply too far deep inside their own half to be able to mount an attack of any note. As a result, Giroud was largely an isolated figure up front, struggling to hold onto the ball and failing to link the play with his midfield, who were just too far away from him. The Frenchman tended to drift back towards his own goal as the first half wore on, but this just made matters worse as Arsenal then had no presence outside their own half.

Wenger’s decision to deploy Oxlade-Chamberlain in a central role was also strange, given the fact the young Englishman had performed so well on the wing against Everton. Whenever he got a chance yesterday Oxlade-Chamberlain ran at the Bayern defence, showcasing not only his ability to be extremely direct when in possession, but also quick feet and skill to dart past one challenge after another. He was by far Arsenal’s best player yesterday, but the fact that many of his forward runs started from such deep positions, meant he was never able to really test the Bayern goal, with a shot or a cross. Surely Oxlade-Chamberlain would have been more effective had he been deployed on the wing. He would have been able to act as an effective outlet for the Gunners, carrying the ball forward, enabling Arsenal to get out of their own half and support the attack. Also the fear of Oxlade-Chamberlain running in behind their defence, would have given Bayern something to think about when pressing the ball, causing them to sit back, slightly deeper and therefore opening up some space in the central midfield area.

As it was Ozil was deployed on the right wing and had absolutely no effect on the game whatsoever. The German was replaced at half time due to a hamstring injury which could now rule him out for several weeks and therefore his performance last night should not be overly criticised. However Ozil’s best position is behind the striker from where he can influence the game with his excellent ability to pick out the perfect pass, playing him on the wing was a waste last night. It gave the full back, David Alaba, absolutely nothing to worry about from a defensive point of view and therefore allowed the Austrian to get forward at will, to support the Bayern attack. 

As Arsenal sat deep, the first period saw few goal scoring opportunities, with the home side seeing an effort from Robben bounce over the bar, before another shot from the Dutchman was cleared off the line by Koscielny and Gotze’s snapshot was saved by Fabianski. Arsenal’s only response was a Giroud header from a corner which Manuel Neuer saved comfortably.

Having managed to keep a clean sheet during the first half, Arsenal should have changed their game plan during the half-time break and took the match to their opponents in the second period. However, the Gunners continued in the same vein and were duly punished in the 55^th minute. Ribery picked out Schweinsteiger, who was completely unmarked in the penalty area and had time to take a touch before dispatching a shot past Fabianski to put the tie to bed.

The Gunners now needed to score three in 35 minutes and to their credit did get one back almost immediately. Podolski appeared to have pushed Lahm as they chased the ball, but while the Bayern players stopped and waited for a whistle that never came, Podolski lashed a fierce shot past Neuer to restore parity on the night.

Arsenal did have a few half chances as the game wore on to get a second and really worry the home side, but the Gunners were found wanting with their final ball and in truth Bayern were always rather comfortable, despite not being at their best. Having had to chase the ball for long periods of the match, the Arsenal players simply did not have the energy levels to push on and apply pressure on the Bayern goal. Wenger had few options on the bench to refresh the team with experienced attacking players and as a result the game just went away from Arsenal.

In injury time Robben did what he does best and threw himself to the ground under the merest touch from Koscielny. The referee fell for it and awarded a penalty which was saved by the legs of Fabianski; the ball lying stationary on the goal line, allowing the goalkeeper to quickly get up and dive to his left, preventing Muller from poking home.

Ultimately this tie was over after the first leg and Arsenal will always look back on that game with a feeling of what might have been. What if Ozil had converted his penalty? What if Szczesny hadn’t been sent off? And crucially, what if the Gunners hadn’t conceded a second in the dying minutes of the match? Recovering a two goal deficit was always going to be a tall order against one of the best sides in Europe, Arsenal cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves and must now focus on their remaining targets, the league and FA Cup, starting with Sunday’s North London derby.