Comment: The best Arsenal side in decades couldn't beat Bayern Munich's worst
SAKA CON?: Arsenal's Bukayo Saka receives treatment. Photo credit: John Walton/PA Wire.
The best Arsenal side in 20 years couldn't beat Munich's worst of the Millennium; the Gunners remain a work in progress when it comes to the Champions League. An exciting one but an unfinished masterpiece nonetheless.
Sensational defending has been the bedrock of Arsenal's transformation from Premier League wannabees to this season's deserved leaders in the most exciting tussle for the trophy in years. Somehow it went missing at the Emirates last night.
There is no better centre-back pairing in the Premier League than Gabriel and William Saliba, with the latter's absence through injury at the business end of last season an huge reason why it all fell apart so quickly and so painfully.
Yet both combined to gift Bayern a goal each in a first half where the visitors looked nothing like the Bundesliga bunglers who have been left trailing by surprise champions-elect Bayer Leverkusen.
Gabriel was the first to err with a wayward pass in his own half, although David Raya had an odd cameo in the cock-up.
The goalkeeper came rushing out of his goal with a desire to join in the play but succeeded only in un-nerving the Brazilian. One turnover and two passes later the ball was in the net.
Saliba was the fall guy for Bayern's second with the mis-timed challenge that caught Leroy Sane in full flight in the box and allowed Harry Kane to continue his extraordinary goal-scoring record for Bayern this season and against Arsenal overall.
Saliba wasn't the only one to have a reckless lunge at ex-Manchester City man Sane either.
For the first time since January Arsenal were behind in a home game and had only themselves to blame.
Bukayo Saka was Arsenal's top performer on the night, not for the first time. The England winger finished superbly early on, albeit thanks to a little help from Eric Dier.
The 'other' Tottenham man making his return to north London was guilty of the sort of duff decision-making that had seen him deemed surplus to requirements by Ange Postecoglou.
Saka required closing down but Dier instead chose to stay where he was, folded his arms behind his back and simply hoped the shot would hit him. It didn't.
Serge Gnabry's comeback to his old stomping ground was far happier as the former Gunner slid in to cash in on Gabriel's error.
Gnabry, now 28, was allowed only 18 appearances as a youngster under Arsene Wenger, who in fairness did want to keep him.
A dismal loan spell at West Bromwich, where Tony Pulis declared he was "not at the required level" even for them, saw him seek better fortune in Germany and, five title winners medal later, he has certainly found that at Bayern.
Ah, winners medals, That inevitably leads us back to Kane, a player also told he wasn't good enough while at Arsenal, albeit as a chubby 11-year-old whose body couldn't carry out the instructions sent to it by a burgeoning brain.
He arrived in the summer assuming the Bundesliga was a shoe-in for that elusive team silverware but is now left with the Champions League or bust.
No-one has more Premier League goals against Arsenal than the England captain's 14 and he brought his Bayern total to the season to 39 with a penalty of perfection, and a far cry from the one he bungled in the World Cup quarter-finals against France two years ago.
This time he elevated his body in mid run-up to check what Raya was planning - and immediately clocked that the Spaniard had gone a fraction early.
A gentle trundle of the ball in the other direction later and Kane was off to celebrate with his team-mates on a night when Bayern fans had been banned for letting off fireworks in previous ties.
Kane delighted the home fans eventually though via an elbow that connected with Gabriel's chin and earned him a yellow card; at that point the Gunners fans had to take their pleasures where they could.
Thomas Tuchel has already paid the price for Bayern domestic disasters but the fallen giant's decision not to jettison the ex-Chelsea man before heading to London - Munich had lost 3-2 to Bundesliga newcomers Heidenheim at the weekend despite being 2-0 up - were justified.
Tuchel is a master of setting teams up to counter and prosper having masterminded a Champions League final victory for Chelsea in 2021 against a Manchester City side that was light years ahead of them domestically.
A certain Kai Havertz scored the only goal on that occasion but the man Arsenal bought from Chelsea last summer, and who has been so impressive in the Premier League action in the last few weeks, made minimal impact.
Not so Leandro Trossard though and his equaliser, following quick feet in the box from the equally-impressive fellow substitute Gabriel Jesus, made sure Arsenal did not suffer an undeserved loss in front of their own fans.
The tie remains delicately poised and it would be no surprise if the Gunners did nudge their way through, as they did against Porto in the previous round.
They don't yet look like potential winners of this competition and Mikel Arteta probably won't mind shelving that problem for another season too much if they can stay on top of the Prem.
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