Harry Kane's Night to Forget as Arsenal Dominate Bayern
England captain Harry Kane set an unwanted personal record during Bayern Munich's 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, November 26. The highly anticipated clash at Emirates Stadium saw the German giants drop from first to third in their group after a dominant performance from Mikel Arteta's side.
Arsenal's Commanding Victory
The match began with both teams having perfect records in the group stage, having won all four of their previous matches. Bayern entered with a superior goal difference, but Arsenal quickly established control. The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute when Jurrien Timber powered home a header from Bukayo Saka's corner, leaving goalkeeper Manuel Neuer stranded.
Bayern responded ten minutes later through 17-year-old sensation Lennart Karl, who beat David Raya following an assist from Michael Olise. Notably, this was the first goal Arsenal has conceded in the Champions League group stage since Arteta became manager.
The game turned decisively in Arsenal's favor in the second half. Noni Madueke, fresh from his hat-trick against Tottenham, put the Gunners ahead in the 69th minute after combining with substitutes Martinelli and Riccardo Calafiori. The Brazilian forward then sealed the victory eight minutes later, racing clear to score into an empty net after being set up by Madueke.
Kane's Unprecedented Struggle
While Arsenal celebrated their comprehensive victory, Harry Kane endured a particularly frustrating evening. According to Opta statistics, the 32-year-old forward failed to register a single shot throughout the entire 90 minutes. This marked the first time in his professional career that Kane has recorded such a statistic.
The performance was especially surprising given Kane's exceptional form this season, having scored 29 goals in 23 games for both club and country prior to the Arsenal match. The former Tottenham striker, who holds the record for most goals in North London derbies, was completely neutralized by Arsenal's defense.
Fans on social media were quick to notice Kane's anonymous performance. One user remarked that Arsenal didn't just marshal Kane but made him "a very expensive spectator," while another praised William Saliba and Santiago Mosquera for following the England captain "like security guards" throughout the match.
The result leaves Arsenal top of their Champions League group, while Bayern Munich drops to third place, creating a challenging path to the knockout stages for the German champions.
