Champions League: Arsenal 3 (Timber 22, Madueke 69, Martinelli 77) Bayern Munich 1 (Karl 32)
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.
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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, who cushioned it first time into the path of Karl.
Cool as you like, the teenager – who became Bayern’s youngest Champions League goalscorer against Brugge last month – did not break stride as he crashed his first-time volley into the roof of the net.
Moments later a Kane pirouette in the area had Arsenal flustered until William Saliba hacked the ball clear at the second attempt.
After the break Saka, Madueke and Mikel Merino all threatened for the hosts before the second goal arrived in the 69th minute.
Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano gave the ball away, Merino swung in a low cross and Madueke pounced from six yards out.
Neuer then suffered a horrible moment as he came out to deal with Eze’s long ball, only for Martinelli to waltz past him and finish into an empty net.
‘Are you Tottenham in disguise?’ and ‘Harry, what’s the score?’ were the predictable chants from the home fans as they revelled in their old foe’s misery while celebrating a deserved, statement win against the German giants.
PSG 5 (Vitinha 45, 53, 75, Ruiz 59, Pacho 65) Tottenham 3 (Richarlison 35, Kolo Muani 50, 72)
A hat-trick by Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha consigned Tottenham to another defeat, but Thomas Frank’s team produced a battling display in a 5-3 loss.
Spurs were desperate for a response after Sunday’s 4-1 thrashing at Arsenal and twice took the lead in the French capital through Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani.
PSG loanee Kolo Muani grabbed his second against his parent club with 18 minutes left, but Vitinha sealed his treble soon after to end Tottenham’s unbeaten run in the Champions League and leave them 15th in the league phase after five fixtures.
The scrutiny on Frank had increased after defeat at Arsenal and he turned to the younger members of his squad in Paris with Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr recalled.
It could have been with half an eye on Saturday’s visit of Fulham, but Bergvall started brightly and a lovely flick released Gray in the penalty area only for his centre to be intercepted by Marquinhos on his 500th appearance for PSG.
Ruiz had already whistled a long-range shot wide for the hosts before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia curled another effort past the post with 18 minutes played.
Kvaratskhelia nearly produced the opener two minutes later but his heavy touch allowed Guglielmo Vicario the chance to pat away before Cristian Romero cleared.
Tottenham failed to make the most of their first corner and despite being without a shot by the half hour mark, the intent of Frank’s team was clear to see.
Kolo Muani – in action against his parent club – was unable to pick out Gray from one promising attack moments later but Spurs stunned the Champions League winners in the 35th minute.
Tottenham’s young guns were central to it with another Bergvall flick able to send Gray away and he chipped to the back post for Kolo Muani to tee up Richarlison for a simple close-range header.
It looked enough to give Spurs a half-time lead but Vitinha had other ideas as he thundered home an equaliser from 25 yards via the crossbar, after Quentin Ndjantou picked him out following Kvaratskhelia’s short corner.
Frank’s team deserved more but regrouped straight after the break to go 2-1 ahead after 50 minutes.
A set-piece did the trick after Pedro Porro’s delivery to the back post was nodded back into a dangerous area by Richarlison and although Gray’s flick was cleared off the line by William Pacho, Kolo Muani rifled in the loose ball to open his account for Tottenham.
Parc des Princes was momentarily silenced but it sparked three goals in 13 minutes for PSG.
Vitinha produced another equaliser after he was afforded too much space and cut inside to curl home with his left foot in the 53rd minute.
Six minutes later and Ruiz completed the turnaround with a smart finish, but only after Sarr had been dispossessed just outside his own penalty area.
Another poor goal was conceded when Kvaratskhelia’s corner was not sufficiently dealt with and Pacho fired home with 65 minutes played.
Kolo Muani bundled his way into the penalty area and drilled into the bottom corner with 18 minutes left, but the hosts were awarded a penalty when Romero handled Vitinha’s shot moments later.
Vitinha sent Vicario the wrong way to complete his hat-trick before a late red card for Lucas Hernandez on a night where Spurs showed much-needed attacking impetus.
Other results:
Pafos 2 Monaco 2
Copenhagen 3 Kairat 2
Olympiakos 3 Real Madrid 4
Sporting Lisbon 3 Club Brugge 0
Eintracht Frankfurt 0 Atalanta 3
Atletico Madrid 2 Inter Milan 1
