Arteta post match press conference reaction has highlighted Arsenal’s fighting spirit following their thrilling 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Mikel Arteta praised his players for their resilience and determination after falling behind, while also addressing Bukayo Saka’s quad injury and highlighting the impressive performances of Ebere Eze and Declan Rice.
Eze opened the scoring after replacing the injured Saka, but Alphonso Davies equalised for Bayern before half-time. Harry Kane then put the German side ahead from the penalty spot before Rice struck with eight minutes remaining to secure a valuable draw for Arsenal.
Following the final whistle, Arteta discussed the result, Saka’s injury, the team’s mentality and the contributions of his attacking players.
Here are the key highlights from his post-match press conference.
Arteta on Arsenal’s 2-2 Draw Against Bayern Munich
Arteta was pleased with his players’ performance but admitted that the result was not entirely satisfying, as Arsenal had travelled to Munich determined to win.
“We’ll take the draw, but it doesn’t mean we’re really happy about it because we prepared a team to win the game – you could see that from right at the beginning, with the mindset, the purpose the adventure team had to be very dominant and cause Bayern problems. We pressed them, attacked them, and we were the better team for 20, 25 minutes and scored the goal.
Unfortunately we had the injury to Bukayo which was a big setback, but Ebs jumps in and the team remains in the same way. But the margins are so small – we get something wrong after the corner, and in two passes, they’re in front of goal. In another one, it was the shape, and Harry Kane can put the ball 30 metres along the floor between us for Alphonso Davies, and that’s the level. After that, it was two teams that wanted to press each other and attack, constantly very alive to hurt the opponent.
When we went down, we showed an incredible composure and spirit to keep going and attack them, the finishers came in and made an impact as well. After we scored, you saw the reaction of the team to take the ball, wanting to attack them and go again to win the game. I think that tells you a lot about the team, especially looking at Bayern over the last two or three years with the teams that have come here, and the manner they have been battered. When you look at their team and their coach, that’s when I have to give credit to our team and our players.”
Arteta Provides an Update on Bukayo Saka’s Injury
One of Arsenal’s biggest concerns was Saka’s early withdrawal. The winger was forced off with a quad injury, leaving the Gunners to adjust their attacking plans.
Arteta admitted that the injury did not look promising, although he stressed that further assessment would be necessary before reaching a definite conclusion.
“It’s his quad. It was early in the game, and the level of intensity his game requires is something incredible. The quality, strength and attention you need has to be at the highest level, and those things happen unfortunately. It doesn’t look good at all, but we have to wait and see.”
Arteta Highlights Arsenal’s Courage and Composure
The Arsenal manager praised his players for their confidence and bravery against a Bayern Munich side that posed a significant challenge throughout the contest.
He particularly admired their ability to win possession, attack with purpose and remain calm under pressure, even when the match became physically demanding.
“The personality and the courage we had, to get the ball off them and attack them, to be very composed, and especially to change gear from really intense when everything is man-to-man, to after the game, when the heart rate is 180. It’s a different game to what we usually face in the Premier League.”
Arteta Praises Arsenal’s Character and Quality
Despite conceding twice, Arsenal refused to give up and continued searching for a way back into the game. Rice’s late equaliser reflected the team’s determination to compete until the final whistle.
Arteta was pleased with how his players adapted to Bayern’s pressing tactics and understood what the match required. However, he also believed Arsenal could have been more clinical in certain attacking situations.
“The character, personality and quality we showed to understand what the game required, because the game changed and they pressed in two different ways, what the team understood and executed was really, really good. Execution-wise, we had some great moments – we could have been even better and more clinical in certain aspects with our final shot – but overall, it’s a game we can take a lot of positives from.”
Arteta Impressed by Arsenal’s Attacking Options
With Saka unavailable for much of the match, other attacking players had to step up. Eze made an immediate impact after coming off the bench, scoring Arsenal’s opening goal and contributing to the team’s overall performance.
Arteta also praised the substitutes for bringing fresh energy and helping the team fight back against the German champions.
“I’m really impressed with all our forwards. I thought Ebs had a great game, not just the goal but his actions, overall performance and without the ball as well. When the others came in, I thought they really contributed to both the energy and providing the tools needed for the team to get something out of the game. So, I’m really pleased again.”
Arteta Discusses Bayern’s Tactical Approach
Arteta was also asked whether he had been surprised by Alphonso Davies taking on a more attacking role during the match.
The Arsenal boss explained that his team had prepared for different possibilities, including the potential involvement of Luis Díaz. He emphasised that Bayern possess quality across their squad and that maintaining an extremely high level of intensity for the entire match is difficult.
“We expected Luis Diaz to start, but we were very aware it was going to be a long game, so we understood and thought about that, to have two different approaches as well. You cannot sustain that intensity for 95 minutes – you saw that yesterday with PSG and Barcelona. But every player that they have is super-quality.”
Final Thoughts
Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich demonstrated the team’s resilience, tactical discipline and determination to compete against Europe’s strongest sides.
Although Arteta was disappointed not to leave Munich with a victory, he found plenty of positives in his players’ performance, particularly their reaction after falling behind and their refusal to stop attacking.
Eze’s contribution, Rice’s late equaliser and the impact of the substitutes were encouraging signs for the Gunners. However, Saka’s quad injury remains a major concern, with his condition requiring further assessment.
Arsenal will take confidence from their performance as they continue their Champions League campaign, while Arteta will hope his side can build on the character and quality they displayed against Bayern Munich.