Ben White, beyond the Bayern Munich defence, has been found by Kai Havertz’s incisive pass and, in unfamiliar territory, he is one-on-one with the goalkeeper. White, calm as ever, slots it through the legs of Manuel Neuer and puts Arsenal 2-0 up in the Champions League quarter-final and sends the Arsenal fans into dreamland and on their way to the semi-finals.
This could, or should, have been the defining moment in Tuesday’s Champions League clash. Instead, White hammered his effort straight at Neuer and, just minutes later, the visitors had stolen an equaliser helped by a string of careless Arsenal errors.
Harry Kane was back in north London and, at his incredibly annoying best, spraying endless, potent passes before sending David Raya the wrong way from a spot kick. The German side went into the break ahead having scored two goals from two shots.
Leroy Sané was too clever for Jakub Kiwior and exploited the Gunners’ troubles seen so often at left-back this season. But it was in the middle of the park where the game was won, lost and eventually drawn.
Gaps in the Arsenal midfield grew with every counter and the usually compact side seemed to part every time Bayern’s wide players surged infield.
Jorginho has performed admirably at the base of the Gunners midfield and deserves credit but, at 32, he cannot sustain his performance levels for 90 minutes, 50 games a season. Neat in possession but caught out on the break, it is no surprise Arsenal appeared far more dominant once he was withdrawn.
Jorginho’s presence also forces Declan Rice further up the pitch and to the left-side of the pitch. While Rice is exceptional wherever you play him, the team appears strongest with him through the middle of the park — the spine of the team.
The less said about Thomas Partey, the better. The Ghanaian’s performances have dropped off a cliff since the first half of last season and he always appears on the precipice of a ballooned effort, misplaced searching pass or being caught out in possession. His brief cameo against Bayern did little to offer hope of that decline reversing and it is hard to see a future for him at the club beyond this season.
The key for Arsenal in the summer is finding that third midfielder and plugging the gap alongside Rice and their most important player.
Everything goes through Martin Ødegaard. Every first pass into the midfield finds his feet. Every throw in must fall to him, either directly or via a knockdown. Every defensive press is started by his surging sprint at a defender. He is the mind, body and soul of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
Just as he had done against Porto in the previous leg, he showed why he is Arsenal’s man for the big occasion. Even in the dying embers of the game, with both sides seemingly resigned to a draw, Ødegaard was the one demanding the ball and harrying any Bayern player he could catch.
Ødegaard does not fit the typical mould of a captain. Few would have envisioned that the player who first joined on-loan from Real Madrid would become the leader at Arsenal. Yet, it is his work on the pitch and, just as much, off it which makes him the present and future of the club.
It won’t be picked up by the broadcasters, who have already cut to their conglomerate of betting, booze or car adverts, but after every game Ødegaard is the last man down the tunnel. Without fail, regardless of victory or loss, the captain is the only player who completes a full lap of the pitch from the Clock End to the North Bank applauding the fans. Yes, it is a small gesture, but the consistency should be appreciated.
Finding the right person to compliment him and Rice is vital not just for the balance in midfield, but the left-hand side of the team. Losing Granit Xhaka last summer has stifled the attacking flair of Gabriel Martinelli and exposed the defensive frailties of Oleksandr Zinechenko and must be remedied,
Who Arteta decides is best placed to fill that role is a mystery that will be scouted, planned and scrutinised meticulously — finding the perfect piece to the puzzle.
Drawing 2-2 at home to Bayern Munich feels disappointing, a chance missed and leaves the Gunners as underdogs in the second leg. This is the club’s first quarter-final since 2010 and may prove a step too far, but this is a side that has proved it learns from every setback.
When the Gunners missed out on Champions League qualification in 2022, they responded by coming within one win against Manchester City from winning the league. When they lost the league title last season, they responded by launching a stronger, more determined challenge this term.
If they lose and crash out of Europe next week that is not the end for this team. The same certainty applies if they miss out on the league title again.
One of the youngest, leading teams in Europe will only grow with experience and, led by Ødegaard, it is not a matter of ‘now or never’. It is just a question of when the crowns will be won by Arsenal.
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Jack McRae writes... 