Arsenal claim statement win over Bayern Munich to maintain perfect record

Second-half goals from Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli fired Arsenal to a 3-1 victory in their heavyweight Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

Madueke, back after two months out with a knee injury, scored his first Gunners goal before fellow sub Martinelli pounced on a mistake from Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer to stretch Arsenal’s perfect record in the competition to five victories from five matches and leave them top of the 36-team table.

Earlier, Jurrien Timber had headed Arsenal into the lead and, with former Tottenham striker Harry Kane unable to add to the six goals he has scored at the Emirates, it was left to Bayern’s 17-year-old star Lennart Karl to grab the first goal Arsenal have conceded in the competition this season.

This glamour tie was arguably the least important of Premier League leaders Arsenal’s three matches this week, sandwiched between the 4-1 derby demolition of Spurs and Sunday’s trip to second-placed Chelsea.

Bayern had also won four out of four in Europe, so defeat for either side would do little to jeopardise their route into the knock-out stages.

Nevertheless, Arteta resisted the temptation to rest some of his big guns – such as weekend hat-trick hero Eberechi Eze – with the only changes coming at the back where Cristhian Mosquera and Myles Lewis-Skelly came in.

Kane had revealed beforehand that he found the Premier League less enjoyable to watch these days due to the prevalence of set-plays, so the England captain will not have enjoyed Arsenal’s opener.

Bukayo Saka directed a corner towards the near post and Timber glanced his header past the flapping Neuer.

But out of nowhere Bayern conjured up an equaliser, Joshua Kimmich pinging the ball out to former Gunners winger Serge Gnabry,