Arsenal have let many people down. The reason is simple: they have no heritage in the competition. Nothing that shows that they are a serious side and nothing that proves they can compete.
Mikel Arteta may have assembled arguably the most formidable young side in the world but they still have a long way to go in the UEFA Champions League.
However, we cannot take away their bravery which saw them make it to the quarter-final to face Bayern Munich, Europe’s third most successful side.
Here are the best players from the Bayern-Arsenal game in the 2023/24 UCL quarter-finals.
Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich will be remembered as the scorer of the winner in the Arsenal vs Bayern Munich quarter-final tie but the full extent of his performance goes beyond that.
Kimmich worked from the left side of the defence to provide the attacking threat that Bayern needed as Arsenal’s young guns tried to prove their worth to the world in this quarter-final tie.
Having won one title before and faced even more formidable opponents, the defensive midfielder left-back was unfazed as Mikel Arteta tried with Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus to penetrate Bayern. No Arsenal attack from the left-hand side worked because of Kimmich.
The 29-year-old, who could be playing his first UCL campaign with Bayern, made four tackles, five clearances and five key passes in both legs while also propping up with the headed goal that broke the deadlock on aggregate.
Bayern face Real Madrid in the semis for the eighth time in the competition’s history. Kimmich will be one of the players to watch out for as Los Blancos attempt to take the finals ticket from the Germans.
William Saliba
Bayern vs Arsenal was an advertisement for defenders, some of the least celebrated players in football.
Both teams fielded many brilliant defenders but none stood out more than William Saliba, Arsenal’s young centre-back who has been on the lips of fans, pundits and players since his Arsenal breakout season (2022/23).
His absence in the latter stages of the last Premier League season due to injury was touted as the reason for Arsenal’s capitulation in that title race. However, it was key in helping them finish as the league’s best defensive team and securing their first UEFA Champions League appearance in seven seasons.
It is also because of Saliba and his brilliant defensive partners that Arsenal made it this far. They also managed to keep the likes of Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sané and Harry Kane, the biggest thorn in Arsenal’s flesh, quiet.
Kane especially found it tough against Saliba and was limited to a penalty goal across both legs. The tie could have easily ended in Arsenal’s favour if the Gunners’ attackers were as brave as Salba across both legs.
Eric Dier
After facing Arsenal numerous times as a Tottenham Hotspur player and being on the losing end more times than he would have liked, England international Eric Dier joined his buddy Harry Kane in Munich only to face the Gunners once more.
This time around, he took to the pitch with the confidence that the team he defended, Bayern Munich, stood a better chance of beating Arsenal than Spurs did.
Not only did Dier and the rest of the Bayern squad end up as winners of the tie and semi-finalists, but the 30-year-old centreback represented himself excellently well.
He showed fans why he was chosen to start in both legs with performances that forced Arsenal to wide attacking areas, where they were handled effectively by Kimmich and Noussair Mazraoui.
In the second leg at the Munich Stadium (known as Allianz Arena, for sponsorship purposes), he covered so much ground across defence like he was trying to make up for the losses he suffered against Arsenal while he still played for Spurs.
Dier has earned a semifinal start. Fans are excitedly looking forward to it.
Gabriel Magalhães
Gabriel Magalhães is the next name on this list with another strong defensive performance in the game.
Arsenal may have lost but his partnership with Saliba was effective in preventing what could have been a rout.
Bayern Munich is at their weakest this season but the data suggests that they are one of the best-performing teams in Europe as far as attack is concerned.
Harry Kane’s goals and assists, Leroy Sané’s assists, and Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich’s key pass completion rate are what Gabriel and Saliba had to deal with, and they came out with their heads held high.
Gabriel made an error in judgment in the first leg which led to Bayern’s first goal and he was lucky to escape VAR scrutiny in the first leg, however, when he handled the ball in preparation for an Arsenal goal kick.
In the end, however, this experience will strengthen his charge for the Brazil national football team ahead of the summer Copa America tournament and Arsenal’s Premier League title charge where they have to fight with the indefatigable Manchester City.
Leon Goretzka
Every UEFA Champions League season, he is a candidate for the team of the season and only fails to make it on account of Bayern failing to qualify for the next round.
This time around, the Bavarians have gotten to the semis of the competition which means that the worst-case scenario for the 29-year-old is a squad of the season mention.
His performance against Arsenal exemplified why he has been such an important piece of the puzzle for Bayern Munich. He nullified Arsenal’s midfield which is made up of some of the best-performing midfielders in football this season.
He completed the most passes in both legs of that tie as well as in all the games of the quarter-final, which totalled a 93.2 per cent completion rate. He also contributed five tackles, three interceptions, seven clearances and three key passes as Bayern edged Arsenal to the semis where they will face Real Madrid.Both Bayern tickets and Real Madrid vs Bayern tickets for the two legs of their semi-final clash are available on seatsnet.com.
