Bayern Munich Star Unleashes Scathing Attack on Arsenal Following Champions League Heartbreak
Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich suggested that Arsenal's Champions League victory "wasn't really about pure football" and maintained that Paris Saint-Germain posed a more challenging test.
The Bavarian giants overcame PSG earlier this month despite spending over half the match with a numerical disadvantage, but suffered a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta's side opened the scoring in the first half through Jurriën Timber from their initial corner kick of the match. Bayern responded 10 minutes later via youngster Lennart Karl, but the Gunners seized control after halftime, eventually securing a commanding victory to strengthen their position at the top of the Champions League's league phase standings.
Following Bayern's first loss of the 2025-26 campaign, Kimmich was questioned whether the north London club represented their most difficult adversary. The Germany star disagreed. "I believe PSG was our most challenging [opponent], particularly considering their style of play," he stated to TNT Sports Brasil.
There's no stopping this Arsenal side right now - they are currently the best team in the world. pic.twitter.com/8rz36aGz74
"Arsenal operates completely differently. They depend heavily on set pieces. They prefer playing direct passes. They excel at competing for loose balls. It's an entirely different approach.
"Against PSG, it resembles more of a pure football match," Kimmich critically remarked. "Tonight, it wasn't really about football. It focused more on tactical management, more on individual battles. Arsenal executed this exceptionally well this evening. Their victory was thoroughly earned, and we must take lessons from it."
Arsenal did break the deadlock via a set-piece, but they created numerous opportunities from open play situations as well. The Gunners found the net twice and accumulated an xG of 1.58 from regular play, while Bayern managed only 0.47, according to FotMob.
Mikel Arteta Praises Bayern Munich Following Arsenal Victory
While Kimmich seemed eager to dismiss Arsenal's claim as European leaders, Arteta redirected that praise toward the Germans. "I must commend our players because they delivered an outstanding performance against what I consider the finest team in Europe," the Spanish manager enthused.
Bayern had triumphed in 17 of their last 18 fixtures this season, netting at least two goals in each encounter. The Gunners not only restricted the Bavarians to a single, well-constructed equalizer but became the first squad to score three goals in a win against Vincent Kompany's team since March.
"On an individual level, we were outstanding in handling all the difficulties that such teams present," Arteta added.
A statement victory over Bayern Munich proves trophies are inevitable for Arsenal this season, but how many will they win? pic.twitter.com/OeXxzj2HPf
"They understand the intensity of our preparation for each match. We recognize that the differences are minimal. We began the week positively with a home win against Spurs. Today represents another significant triumph, but that's all it is for now."
Despite discussions about potential silverware coming Arsenal's way, Arteta emphasized that no championships are decided in November.
"We've definitely shown great consistency in the tournament thus far, but we're only at the start," he cautioned. "We're delighted with today's display.
"Once more, the atmosphere we generated in the stadium, the team's energy, the intensity we bring, the skill level we demonstrate - it's remarkable. We must sustain this because it's still very early days."