Mikel Arteta appears to take a dig at Bayern Munich's tactics after Arsenal's UEFA Champions League elimination
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta appeared to aim a dig at Bayern Munich after his side fell to a 1-0 defeat in the second leg of their quarter-final tie in Bavaria on Wednesday (April 17). The Gunners failed to cut the mustard in their crunch tie, allowing the hosts to bag the aggregate win on the night.
Speaking via Metro, the Spaniard rued a missed opportunity for his side, saying (via Metro):
"It was a tie of very small margins. In the first leg obviously, we conceded two very poor goals and that had a big effect on the tie. I think it was a game you could see that an error or a magical moment was going to decide the tie, the margins are so small. And in the end, we didn’t defend well at all our box in that action."
Addressing Bayern's approach to the game, the Arsenal boss continued:
"Credit to the opponent as well, it’s very difficult to break opponents down, especially when they play the manner that they play which they never do. But we had our moments, especially in the first half. In the second half, we struggled a little bit more to keep that rhythm, that momentum. With the changes we tried, in a different way."
The Gunners will now turn their attention to the Premier League, where they will face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (April 20). Arteta's side currently trail Manchester City by two points following their loss last weekend to Aston Villa.
Arsenal fall at final hurdle to Bayern Munich in quarter-final tie
Mikel Arteta's young Arsenal side could not outmaneuver their more experienced Bavarian hosts and fell out of the Champions League on Wednesday night. Despite Bayern Munich missing the talents of Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, and Alphonso Davies, they showed their composure to secure qualification.
in a closely contested affair, Bayern Munich had the first major chance of the game when Jamal Musiala danced through the Gunners' defense. The German international's effort from Range drew a fine stop from David Raya in the 23rd minute.
Gabriel Martinelli tested Manuel Neuer in the 32nd minute after Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard picked him out with a peach of a delivery. The German shot-stopper, however, was up to the task and both sides headed into the break level on the night and on aggregate.
Bayern Munich took the lead in the tie through a thunderous Joshua Kimmich header in the 63rd minute. A floated cross from Portuguese full-back Raphael Guerreiro found the World Cup winner to give the hosts the lead.
The hosts held on to their lead to secure a place in the final four of this season's Champions League and set up a semi-final clash against Real Madrid.