According to a report by Football London on Thursday October 22, 2026, the Champions League match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich ended in a 2-2 draw. Eberechi Eze scored the first goal, but Declan Rice scored the second in stoppage time to give Arsenal a valuable point.

Despite playing on the road in a tough European match, Mikel Arteta's team refused to sit back and let the German champions score. They had more shots and more possession.

"Special" was Arteta's description of his team's performance; however, former Watford striker Troy Deeney had a different take, saying Arsenal could have done much better against Vincent Kompany's squad.

Deeney told CBS Sports that Arsenal's strength is in their pressing structure, which they use to stifle opponents and force them to make mistakes, which they then use to their advantage during transitions.

Deeney expressed his disappointment with Arsenal's performance, saying, "I thought Arsenal could have been a lot better," despite the fact that the team was able to compete with one of Europe's strongest teams.

Instead of controlling the proceedings with their familiar defensive organization and coordinated pressing, the former striker claimed that Arsenal looked more open than usual, giving Bayern opportunities to exploit spaces.

They appear perplexed upon arrival. As the match progressed, Deeney continued, "It was just a performance that left me confused with Arsenal." He was critical of Arsenal's tactical execution.

Arsenal should have won, according to Deeney, but that would be putting it too lightly considering Bayern's strong home record and offensive displays leading up to Wednesday's Champions League encounter.

Before their match against Arsenal, Bayern had won all four of their home matches this season, scoring 23 goals and allowing just two goals in victories over Union Berlin, Bodo/Glimt, RB Leipzig, and Stuttgart.

Both Bayern and Arsenal were missing key players for the demanding European match, which affected both teams' defensive stability and attacking options.

Due to his history of assisting Arsenal in containing Harry Kane, French defender William Saliba's absence was crucial, as was the early exit of Bukayo Saka due to injury.

Despite the general criticism of their performance, Arsenal were able to stay competitive against Bayern after Saka's departure, which diminished their attacking threat.

Arteta admitted that it would be a tough task, but he went on to say that Bayern's relentless attacking football and remarkable scoring record had blown away a number of home opponents in recent seasons.

As Arteta put it, "I watched all the games they've played here in the last three years and they batter every team with many goals." He was clearly impressed by Bayern's might.

Even though Deeney had reservations about Arsenal's tactical approach and missed opportunities to win, the manager nevertheless felt his players deserved recognition for their accomplishment.