Trossard and Jesus Shine as Gunners Respond After Defensive Struggles in First Leg

Arsenal fought back from two goals down to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium.

Bayern initially took control with goals from Serge Gnabry, a former Arsenal player, and Harry Kane, who converted a penalty before halftime. However, Arsenal found their rhythm after the break, with Bukayo Saka opening the scoring for the Gunners before substitute Leandro Trossard netted a vital equaliser.

Here’s how we rated the Arsenal players…

David Raya – 5
Struggled with Bayern’s opening goal, which went through his legs, and committed early for Kane’s penalty, allowing the England captain an easy finish.

Ben White – 7
Provided the assist for Saka’s goal and denied Leroy Sane with a crucial tackle. His effort at the back was commendable, but he missed a key opportunity to increase Arsenal’s lead.

William Saliba – 5
Made a clumsy challenge leading to Bayern’s penalty but otherwise performed solidly at the back.

Gabriel – 4
A loose pass from Gabriel resulted in Bayern’s equaliser, and he was caught out of position for the penalty.

Jakub Kiwior – 3
Struggled defensively, with Bayern exploiting his position. A tough debut performance at this level for the young defender.

Declan Rice – 7
Solid overall, although he was caught off guard for Bayern’s equaliser. His hard work and interception contributed to Arsenal’s late equaliser.

Jorginho – 6
Started brightly but faded as the game wore on, failing to make a lasting impact.

Martin Ødegaard – 7
Energetic and dynamic, Ødegaard played a crucial role in Arsenal’s recovery during the second half.

Bukayo Saka – 8
Took his goal with confidence and played a key part in the build-up to Trossard’s equaliser. A standout performer.

Gabriel Martinelli – 6
Worked hard but struggled to break down Bayern’s defence. Substituted in the second half.

Kai Havertz – 6
Pressed well in a false nine role and worked tirelessly, though he was not involved in creating clear chances.

Substitutes
Oleksandr Zinchenko (replacing Kiwior 45’) – 7
A much-improved performance after Kiwior’s struggles. Zinchenko dealt with Sane and Kingsley Coman effectively, contributing positively on the ball. He should have started.

Leandro Trossard (replacing Martinelli 66’) – 8
Trossard came on and made an immediate impact, scoring the crucial equaliser with a calm finish.

Gabriel Jesus (replacing Jorginho 66’) – 8
Jesus provided an excellent cameo, showing great footwork in the box to help create the equaliser.

Thomas Partey (replacing Havertz 87’) – 6
Helped solidify Arsenal’s defence in the final moments as they held Bayern to the draw.

Not Used: Ramsdale, Hein, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Tomiyasu, Vieira, Nelson, Elneny.

This thrilling encounter means the tie remains finely balanced ahead of next week’s second leg in Munich, where Arsenal will look to build on their late fightback.