Champions League day 3: Arsenal 2-0 Bayern Munich
Finally Bayern Munich has lost, some may say! It was the first defeat of the season for the Bundesliga leaders. Bayern did have the ball most of the time completing over 600 passes and controlling the ball 70% of the time. But Arsenal made the difference in the last 20 minutes of the game with Giroud and Ozil.
Here are Coach Wenger’s comments:
on where that ranked in favourite results…
I don’t know. We had an absolute necessity to win the game and we did it in an intense and disciplined way. It was a top level game between two top-level teams. Bayern had more possession than us but we decided to make it tight in our final third and catch them on the break. The last part of the game where we went longer and used long balls we could play more in their half and they struggled. I think they dropped a bit physically as well but overall I think we have beaten a very strong team and kept a good level focus from the first to the last minute and kept a clean sheet as well.
on if letting Bayern have possession was the plan…
It is was not deliberate from the start but I thought when we played very high up we stopped them from playing. When we were playing halfway they opened us up too much so I decided to drop Ozil a bit deeper and to make it tight around the box and catch them on the break because we have the pace to do it and to find some space with the game going on.
on if he sensed something special would happen…
You never know if you will win the game but you know that team focus and dynamic was there. We had that for a while now and I said yesterday in the press conference that I think we were not at our level of focus in the first two games as we always focus on the Premier League. Tonight we knew we needed that as well that we had to show what we do in the Premier League against Bayern.
on Petr Cech…
He was important. I think he kept us in the game and you can say the same for Neuer. We had two top, top, top world-class keepers on the pitch today and that of course was vital on both sides.
on winning using a different style…
It can strengthen our belief and strengthen the belief of people of around us, that means out fans, our supporters. We won 3-0 against Manchester United, 3-0 against Watford and 2-0 tonight so it is important we have a good balance between defending well and attacking well. As long as we defend well and score goals then the balance is right.
on if Giroud is an extra weapon…
I would give him some credit because it is not easy, he has always played and he had a bit of a dip in form. I have seen that in the last two weeks that he is coming back to his best but the focus he brings and the spirit he shows is he is a winner. He gives us a different option when it does not work on the ground he gives us options in the air and both Walcott and Giroud I like. I just have to use both of them in the right way.
