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.

Zouma’s Equaliser Earns West Ham a Point in London Derby Despite Antonio’s Missed Opportunity

West Ham responded to their recent disappointment against Newcastle by earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Tottenham at the London Stadium. After a rocky start, where Brennan Johnson gave Spurs an early lead, Kurt Zouma’s header levelled things up within the first 15 minutes, helping the Hammers secure a point in the derby.

Michail Antonio missed a key chance after the break, but the point still leaves David Moyes’ side in seventh place in the Premier League standings.

Here’s how the West Ham players performed:

Lukasz Fabianski (6): Stepped in for the injured Alphonse Areola. His kicking was mostly solid, and he kept his composure under pressure.

Vladimir Coufal (5): Struggled once again, this time up against Timo Werner. He had a tough time keeping up, although he was alert at the back post to deny Werner a potential winner.

Konstantinos Mavropanos (6): Was a nuisance at set-pieces, putting pressure on Tottenham’s goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario.

Kurt Zouma (7): Equalised with a header that glanced in off his back from a Jarrod Bowen corner. Defended well, ensuring he wasn’t exposed in one-on-one situations, particularly against Son.

Emerson (6): Still developing his relationship with Mohammed Kudus on the left flank, but showed signs of improvement as the game progressed.

Tomas Soucek (6): Played a defensive midfield role, where he was largely unnoticeable but performed his duties without error.

James Ward-Prowse (7): Was the most advanced of the midfield trio and won possession in dangerous areas. Delivered a fantastic ball to set up Antonio, though the striker failed to score.

Jarrod Bowen (6): Missed a golden opportunity early on but played a vital role in Zouma’s equaliser with a well-placed corner.

Lucas Paqueta (7): Played deeper than usual and contributed excellently to both defence and attack. He was fortunate not to be punished for a mistake near his own box, but otherwise, he showed his class.

Mohammed Kudus (7): Worked hard pressing and provided a key assist for the chance that Bowen should have converted.

Michail Antonio (6): His constant running caused problems for Tottenham, but he squandered a huge opportunity after holding off Micky van de Ven. He also tested Vicario with a powerful strike and was booked.

Substitutes:

Unused: Anang, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Johnson, Earthy, Phillips, Cornet, Ings, Mubama

Guglielmo Vicario Impresses in Goal, but Bentancur Outshone by Paqueta in a Draw at the London Stadium

Tottenham and West Ham were forced to share the spoils after a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium. Brennan Johnson’s early goal was quickly cancelled out by West Ham’s Kurt Zouma, leaving both teams with a point each after an intense London derby.

Johnson continued his fine form, scoring in the fifth minute after a well-placed cross from Timo Werner. However, Zouma levelled for West Ham, scoring from a Jarrod Bowen corner that deflected off his back.

Here’s how Tottenham’s players performed in the match:

Guglielmo Vicario (8): The goalkeeper made a crucial one-on-one save against Michail Antonio in the second half. Though slightly uncertain on set-pieces, he was quick to parry shots from James Ward-Prowse and Antonio.

Pedro Porro (7): Had an early scare when Mohammed Kudus robbed him for a West Ham chance but was a constant threat going forward. He came close to scoring with a low drive, forcing a save from Lukasz Fabianski.

Cristian Romero (7): Defended solidly, particularly relishing the physical challenge against Antonio.

Micky van de Ven (6): Struggled at times against Antonio, who outmuscled him to create a key chance. He also let Bowen’s corner sail over him, leading to the equaliser.

Destiny Udogie (7): Got forward well and was involved in the build-up to Johnson’s opening goal.

Yves Bissouma (5): Worked hard, but his passing lacked consistency. He was one of the two closest to Zouma during the West Ham equaliser.

Rodrigo Bentancur (6): A strong start, contributing to the opening goal, but faded as the game went on. He was outshone by Lucas Paqueta in midfield.

James Maddison (5): Found himself in good positions but was not at his best, and was substituted for the second consecutive match as Spurs searched for a winner.

Brennan Johnson (7): Scored his fourth goal in four games, continuing his hot streak, and made several dangerous runs down the right, delivering crosses into the box.

Timo Werner (6): Played a key role with an early assist for Johnson but struggled to make an impact in the latter stages.

Heung-min Son (6): Had a quiet game by his standards. He fired a tame effort at Fabianski and failed to find space for his usual attacking influence.

Substitutes:

Pape Sarr (for Bentancur, 70’) (6): Did well in possession and contributed to the midfield.

Dejan Kulusevski (for Maddison, 70’) (6): Created a few chances and made a case for starting in the next match.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (for Bissouma, 82’) (6): Battled hard and brought stability to midfield.

Richarlison (for Werner, 82’) (6): Came on late but struggled to make a noticeable impact as West Ham held out for the draw.

Giovani Lo Celso (for Johnson, 90’) (N/A): Not enough time to influence the game.