Arsenal lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie. This means Bayern advance 3-2 on aggregate and Arsenal is out of the Champions League. However, the Gunners bounced back by defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at Molineux in the Premier League.
Declan Rice played a major part in that victory, as usual. It is no wonder why Rice’s jersey is highly sought after by Arsenal fans. Arsenal is now first in the Premier League once again, one point ahead of Manchester City and ahead of Liverpool on goal difference.
Let’s dive deeper into these games.
Arsenal 2024 Season Part 42: Arsenal Kept A Clean Sheet Against Wolves But Couldn’t Do So Against Bayern
The Gunners were unable to keep a clean sheet against Bayern Munich in the second leg. Joshua Kimmich scored a second-half header to knock Arsenal out of the Champions League. In general, Arsenal was decent defensively against Bayern Munich, limiting them to three shots on target. It was not enough to help Arsenal progress to the semifinals of the Champions League, however.
The Gunners limited Wolves to only three shots on target, as well. Wolves only truly threatened Arsenal’s goal once via a first-half strike that required a strong save from David Raya. Raya played well against Wolves, making three saves, keeping a clean sheet, and claiming crosses confidently as usual. Raya now has 13 clean sheets in the Premier League, which is the most in the league this season.
Arsenal defended well against Wolves. Ben White was excellent again, tidy in possession and assured in defense without the ball. White could have done better to block the cross that led to Bayern Munich’s goal in the second leg of the Gunners’ Champions League quarterfinal tie against the German giants. However, he bounced back with a far better performance against Wolves.
Jakub Kiwior struggled a bit in the first half, but grew into the game in the second half. Gabriel Magalhaes dominated Arsenal’s box and won several aerial duels. William Saliba played well overall, although he did make a poor pass in the first half that put Arsenal under pressure.
The Gunners have now kept six consecutive clean sheets away from home. Their defense is the backbone of their title challenge. Jurrien Timber could also return sometime this season to bolster Arsenal’s defense as the season winds down.
Arsenal 2024 Season Part 42: Arsenal Battled in the Midfield Against Bayern and Controlled Possession Against Wolves
Bayern Munich had a slight edge in terms of possession in the game against Arsenal. However, the Gunners did battle in the midfield regardless. Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Jorginho all played fairly well.
Bayern Munich didn’t generate that many opportunities through the middle thanks to Arsenal’s midfield. Odegaard and Jorginho didn’t create too many goal-scoring opportunities for Arsenal against Bayern. The fatigue of a long season seemed to catch up with some of the players against Bayern Munich.
Arsenal’s midfield trio of Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard did better against Wolves. Odegaard created a few goal-scoring opportunities before finding the back of the net himself with an improvised finish deep into second-half stoppage time. Havertz battled in midfield and used his physicality to disrupt Wolves’ attempts to play through the middle.
Rice was excellent once again, shutting down Wolves’ attacks, passing the ball effectively, and commanding the midfield. Once Partey came on, Rice was free to surge forward more and did so effectively. One of Rice’s runs helped lead to Arsenal’s second half. Some of his shots were off target, but it was another excellent performance from the Gunners’ outstanding midfield anchor. Rice earns Man of the Match in this game.
As previously mentioned, Thomas Partey did come on in the second half, replacing Gabriel Jesus. Partey played well in the time he had and freed up Rice to roam forward. It’s important to manage Partey’s fitness, but it is also clear that Partey-Odegaard-Rice is Arsenal’s most effective midfield trio. Hopefully, Arteta has the opportunity to play that midfield trio in all of the Gunners’ remaining Premier League games this season.
Arsenal’s Attack Didn’t Have Many Chances in Either Game But Did Enough Against Wolves
Arsenal only had three shots on target against Bayern, but unlike the Germans, Arsenal failed to capitalize on any of those chances. That was a forgettable performance from the likes of Saka, Jesus, and the other members of the Arsenal attack against Bayern.
Thankfully, Arsenal’s attack did much better against Wolves. The Gunners had nine shots on target and scored twice. Leandro Trossard, playing on the left wing, opened the scoring for Arsenal near the end of the first half. Trossard has scored many important goals since joining the Gunners and this was another one in a game of few chances. Trossard’s finish may have been a bit fortunate, but nevertheless, his goal started Arsenal down the path to victory against Wolves.
Gabriel Jesus played through the middle against Wolves. Jesus played pretty well, providing the assist for Trossard’s goal after some strong hold-up play from the Brazilian. Jesus still doesn’t look like he did before his injury, but he made an impact against Wolves.
Bukayo Saka was pretty quiet against both Bayern and Wolves. Saka did have one excellent run against Wolves, but didn’t contribute to either of Arsenal’s goals in that game. It is fair to expect Saka to be at his best again soon, but he does seem a bit worn out after such a long season.
Gabriel Martinelli made an appearance off the bench in the second half. Martinelli looked lively enough, but he could have done better with the one clear-cut opportunity he got to score. Martinelli certainly remains a threat to opposing defenses. It is likely that he will start against Chelsea after being mostly rested against Wolves.
6/10 Manager Rating vs. Bayern and 8/10 Manager Rating vs. Wolves
Arsenal failed to score, conceded a late goal, and were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarterfinal second leg against Bayern Munich. Starting Jesus didn’t work out since he missed some big chances against Bayern. The team struggled a bit under the pressure of the game and Arteta’s tactics didn’t work too well. Arteta receives an 6/10 manager rating for the game against Bayern.
However, Arteta did a better job against Wolves. The team was set up well, starting Trossard proved to be the right move, and the Gunners were able to keep yet another clean sheet in an away Premier League game. Substituting Partey and Martinelli on helped Arsenal see out the game. Wolves away is a tricky fixture and many big teams have lost this fixture, including Chelsea and Manchester City.
The importance of winning this tricky fixture shouldn’t be understated. Arteta receives an 8/10 manager rating for the game against Wolves.
Arsenal 2024 Season Part 42: Arsenal Returns Home for a London Derby vs. Chelsea
The Gunners return to the Emirates Stadium next for a London derby against Chelsea in the Premier League. Chelsea is a decent team that played well overall against Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal despite eventually losing to Manchester City. Arsenal drew 2-2 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but the Gunners have beaten Chelsea at home many times in recent years. It is fair to expect Arsenal to defeat Chelsea once again.
Check back next week for more Arsenal content.