Five Key Takeaways after Arsenal beat Bayern Munich 

Here's Gooner Fanzine print columnist Charlie Ashmore with his must-read analysis of Arsenal's superb 3-1 win over Bayern Munich 

1  Deep breath….let’s not get carried away yet

In today’s world of extreme narratives, the hype will be building – top of the league domestically and in Europe, it would be very easy at this point to get carried away with the excitement of it all.

But there is a hell of a long way to go yet on both fronts. 

Anyone remember last year’s group stage where we gave PSG a thumping at home? Look how that one played out. 

Who is to say we won’t come across Bayern at a later stage and believe me it will be a different challenge at that point. 

But, for all that, it would be perverse not to enjoy the current situation and the excellent results that just keep on coming. 

However, the biggest game of the week is yet to come – Chelsea are in form and will be a tough test for us. 

It’s a big big game with the outcome seeing anything from a three point lead to a nine point lead (over Chelsea) and, assuming City win, a four or seven point lead over them. 

So, deep breath, keep calm and let’s go again on Sunday.

2  - Selection challenges

One of Arteta’s faults in seasons past is flogging the 1st XI to death before we get to the season’s clutch moments. 

So it was always going to be interesting to see what he did for this game and in the end with attacking options still restricted, he changed only centre half and left back. 

The limited changes are of course in part dictated by the injuries though we can see green shoots on that front with Noni Madueke, Gabi Martinelli and Martin Odegaard all involved and hopefully the others won’t be too far behind. 

Chelsea is huge and although we have another midweek game next week, you’d imagine it will be all guns blazing on selection for Sunday. 

Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hinciape will be back in.  I suspect Martin Odegaard may still be held back given the injuries he has had this season, and the need for caution.

Martinelli may well come in for Leo Trossard given the latter went off injured,  but otherwise the team pretty much picks itself

3 - Subs deliver again

Arteta did make good use of his subs against Bayern, and was rewarded with contributions from them Madueke, Calafiori and Martinelli to ensure what was in the end a comfortable victory. 

This is for me the single biggest difference this season – look at the subs bench for the semi v PSG last week and look at our bench now (even with a number of players out). 

The bench is stacked with trusted players who will come on and make a difference and that ultimately is was successful teams absolutely need from their subs. 

It again reinforces the quality of the long term squad build that has taken place and for that all involved should be given enormous credit.

4 - Second half monsters 

There has been a lot of talk through this season about the contrast in performance in the first and second half of matches – “it’s a game of two halves Brian”. 

It cannot be a coincidence that it happens so often and is clearly strategic. 

The objective seems to be to stifle the game in the first half and wear the opponents out, whilst being willing and able to take whatever opportunities come our way, and then in the second half look to take the game to them and take advantage of the control exerted in the first half. 

It’s fair to say Bayern had the best of the first half at least in terms of possession but they created little. 

The goal came from a ball over the top which caught both Lewis-Skelly and Mosquera out but it was very well taken. 

That was it from Bayern in the first half and in the second half they were utterly dominated.  3-1 did not flatter in the end and the strategy appears to be working – it is built on the solidity of our defence an dhow hard we make opponents work to create something – let’s hope the pattern continues. 

5 - It’s a young man’s game. 

I have to say I was really impressed with Bayern’s 17-year-old Lennart Karl who is another of a frightening crop of young players around Europe. 

We have seen our share of course but it is a joy to see these fearless youngsters with immense talent playing at the highest level fearlessly taking on all comers. 

The investment across the big clubs in their academies is clearly paying off big time and it is fantastic to have this talent coming through. 

If you can’t enjoy the sight of hugely talented youngsters taking these games on you are really watching the wrong sport. 

It is interesting to see them being given their chances in big games in a way that might not have happened a few years ago.   

 It will be fascinating to see them develop and mature in the coming years to become the leaders at their clubs hopefully.

Read Charlie Ashmore's column in every print issue of the Gooner Fanzine. Buy our current issue here