Arsenal crumble again – they barely looked up for the challenge

That sound you hear is Arsenal’s season crumbling. They frustratingly exited the Champions League to Bayern Munich and while that may not sound like a collapse, given the formidable pedigree of opponent, this was a quarter-final tie that was theirs for the taking. There can be no doubt about it.

With their Premier League title challenge also faltering after Sunday’s home loss to Aston Villa, Mikel Arteta and his players are facing a week in which they will again stand accused of not being up for the challenge. And how that will hurt them.

What will also hurt is that they can have no complaint. This was a big missed opportunity. Not that they really created any opportunities, while there was a collective failing in Bayern’s only goal – Arsenal switched off and that was it.

Fine margins, they say, and it was a phrase that Arteta adopted. We are at the business end of the season when every decision, every moment matters as Bayern put aside their problems to again show the mentality and game-management required to go deep into this competition.

Maybe it was also a night when Arsenal finally paid the price for not signing a top centre-forward. There has been so much about that with the notion ridiculed when they were putting six past Sheffield United and West Ham United.

But it is not those games we are talking about, it is these matches where the lack of a ‘fox in the box’ is glaring. That was summed up when substitute Gabriel Jesus was sent clear, with 10 minutes to go, by Declan Rice only to snatch at it and shoot wildly. He never looked like scoring. He should have.

Maybe he was offside, but the Brazilian did not know that. While Kai Havertz, who was playing as the central striker, was almost anonymous throughout. The German had a glancing header from a free-kick but got no power on it. There was also a decent chance for Gabriel Martinelli in the first-half but his shot had no conviction. He also had to do better than aim straight at Manuel Neuer with the goal beckoning.

Put Harry Kane in this team – released by Arsenal when he was nine, as he was reminded on the eve of the game – and it may well have been a different story. The Bayern striker, though, goes on to the semi-finals and still can finally win silverware.

Not that Bayern will be favourites for that tie against Real Madrid. They are not playing well enough which will torment Arsenal even more. Still, for now, Kane did not care as he celebrated with fellow former Tottenham Hotspur player Eric Dier and so there was added resonance for them.

Arsenal’s lack of belief was all over the pitch – as were the clear signs of fatigue. Arteta does not rotate and it is catching up on his team. The final kick of the game? Arsenal earned one last corner. One last chance, maybe. Goalkeeper David Raya came up, and Bukayo Saka’s delivery was weak and easily cleared by the first defender at the near post.

Arsenal now head to Wolves on Saturday for the very definition of a must-win. Which this was also, of course. No win at Molineux and the pain heightens while they will be tormented by this failure – in front of owner Stan Kroenke, watching his first Arsenal game from the stands since December 2020.

And the winning goal? What an awful one to concede as Raphael Guerreiro collected a cross that had ran to the other side of the pitch. There looked to be little danger but he was given so much time to send it back into the Arsenal penalty area, with Ben White making a half-hearted challenge as he waved a leg at the ball.

Guerreiro probably could not believe it as Joshua Kimmich ran in unmarked – Martinelli failed to track him; Rice did not see the danger – to simply pick his spot and beat Raya with a stooping header. The replays only made it look worse and worse. What a way to go out.

Arteta had spoken about an “unbelievable opportunity” to change history; about writing Arsenal’s “own story” but the records will show that they blew their chance. Yes, they are a young, vibrant team who are undoubtedly making huge strides season on season but chances are there to be taken, especially when they could have reached the last four for the first time since 2009. And that is what separates the best from the rest. Maybe that and a bit more experience. “We have been in this situation,” said Bayern’s coach Thomas Tuchel who is leaving, of course.

Arsenal are getting closer and closer under Arteta – this was their first Champions League campaign in seven years - and they may still win their first league title for 20 years, although the psychological effect of this, and the physical toll, cannot be underestimated. Three days after Wolves they host Chelsea and then five days later are away to Tottenham.

Optimistically it can be put down to being part of a learning curve, but we will only know that if Arsenal do go eventually win something.

Tactically Arteta will believe he got it right with Jorginho tasked as Jamal Musiala’s shadow, and Martinelli working hard to double-up on Leroy Sane while Arsenal dominated possession and controlled the midfield through Rice and Martin Odegaard.

But to what effect? They did not really threaten. It was Bayern occasionally doing that with Raya making a couple of smart saves in the first-half before he could only stand and watch as Leon Goretzka’s header struck the crossbar and the rebound was deflected against the post.

It was a warning for Arsenal. But it was not one they heeded because before Kimmich scored it felt like a Bayern goal was coming. And so Arsenal are out and are left desperately trying to shore up a season of rich promise whose foundations are falling away bit by bit. There is still hope but there could have already been so much more.

10:28 PM BST

Mikel Arteta’s reaction

10:15 PM BST

A beaming Harry Kane speaks to TNT Sports

10:11 PM BST

Next up: Wolves away

Arsenal go to Molineux on Saturday evening, knowing another defeat would effectively end their season. In April and May, hopes and dreams are shattered with a savage finality.

10:08 PM BST

This is how it feels to be Bayern

Imagine if they respond to losing the Bundesliga by winning the Champions League.

09:59 PM BST

Man City v Real Madrid goes to extra-time

We don’t yet know who Bayern will play in the semi-finals, because Manchester City and Real Madrid are about to go at it for another 30 minutes. It’s 1-1 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate. You can follow that game with Kieran Crichard.

09:57 PM BST

Tired Arsenal run out of ideas

Final kick of the game, Saka over the corner, and the delivery is woeful. That sums up the second half for Arsenal, who ran out of ideas and looked desperately short of energy. It was a tired corner at the end of a tired second-half performance. Bayern took control of the game after the goal and never loosened their grip.

09:57 PM BST

FT: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Arsenal’s week from hell continues with a tame exit from the Champions League. They played pretty well in the first half, when they controlled the tempo of a cagey contest, but Bayern were too good for them in the second. Joshua Kimmich’s emphatic header gave them a deserved lead in the 63rd minute, and Arsenal had no response.

The final score: Experience 1-0 Innocence.

09:54 PM BST

90+5 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Saka is fouled 25 yards from goal. Instead of shooting he takes a very quick free-kick to White, who is crowded out in the area. Arsenal get a corner, for which Raya comes forward.

But Saka’s corner is awful, Goretzka heads clear - and that’s the last touch of the game. Arsenal are out of Europe!

09:51 PM BST

90+3 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Gabriel Jesus is booked for dissent. This second half has been a slow-burning nightmare for Arsenal.

09:51 PM BST

90+2 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Kimmich is booked for a foul on Havertz 45 yards from goal. The centre-backs go forward - and then Arsenal take the free-kick short and lose it. Oh dear.

09:50 PM BST

90+1 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Saka’s cutback leads to a scramble in the six-yard box, though it turns out somebody was offside so any goal wouldn’t have counted.

As it stands, Arsenal are going out with a whimper.

09:49 PM BST

90 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Chance for Bayern! Musiala shoots straight at Raya after a fine break involving Laimer and Kane. There will be four minutes of added time.

09:48 PM BST

89 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Bayern substitution Dayot Upamecano for Leroy Sane, which means a back five/nine for the last few minutes.

09:47 PM BST

88 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Odegaard has a shot on target that is pushed round by Neuer - but a goalkick has been given. He is fuming, and you can understand why. Kim made a good challenge on Saka, but Odegaard collected the loose ball, shuffled into the area and drove a right-foot shot that was pushed behind by Neuer. It wasn’t on target but Neuer played it safe, and he got a goalkick anyway.

09:45 PM BST

83 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Arsenal substitution Eddie Nketiah is on for Takehiro Tomiyasu, which presumably means a switch to a back three.

Arsenal haven’t had a shot on target since the 39th minute. That’s going to gnaw at them if they are beaten.

09:44 PM BST

84 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Arsenal are looking tired now. They have run of out ideas. Bayern have control of the flow of the game for the first time in the entire tie.

09:43 PM BST

83 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Bayern are managing this game superbly, defending deep and in numbers. Arsenal can’t lay a glove on them.

When Bayern win the ball and look to break, Ben White takes out Guerreiro and is booked.

09:39 PM BST

80 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Arsenal are struggling to put Bayern under any sustained pressure. The first half was even, with Arsenal perhaps shading it, but the second has been all Bayern. The xG for the second half according to one website is Bayern 1.22 Arsenal 0.04.

The xG doesn’t improve when Jesus, about to be flagged offside anyway, shoots well wide from a tight angle.

09:35 PM BST

77 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Musiala shuffles infield, past a couple of players, and hits a shot from 25 yards that deflects behind for another Bayern corner.

09:35 PM BST

76 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Bayern substitution Kim Minjae replaces the weary Noussair Mazraoui at left-back. He’s not a natural left-back either, but so far Bukayo Saka has been very quiet.

09:34 PM BST

75 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Saka’s deep, inswinging corner is fisted behind for another by Neuer. Rice takes it and the referee penalises one of the Arsenal players.

09:33 PM BST

74 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Arsenal will have regrets if it ends like this. Their possession-to-chances ratio has been poor, and Bayern have been far more penetrative in the second half. But there’s plenty of time to change the narrative.

09:31 PM BST

72 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Desperate defending from Arsenal They’re hanging on here. Sane slips Tomiyasu thrillingly on the edge of the area and has a shot blocked painfully by Gabriel. The ball rebounds to Kimmich, whose mishit cross is sliced over his own bar by Saliba.

09:28 PM BST

70 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

As you’d expect, Havertz has dropped into midfield, with Trossard on the left and Gabriel Jesus up front.

09:27 PM BST

69 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Horrible goal to concede. Martinelli, Tomiyasu and Rice all seemed to leave Kimmich to each other.

09:27 PM BST

68 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Arsenal substitutions Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard, who combined for Arsenal’s equaliser last week, come on for Jorginho and Gabriel Martinelli.

09:26 PM BST

67 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Jorginho is a bit lucky to avoid a yellow card for another foul in midfield. The referee books one of the Bayern backroom staff instead.

09:25 PM BST

66 min: Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (agg; 3-2)

Another chance for Bayern! Mazraoui’s low cross from left misses everyone in the middle, including Kane, and is skied by Sane on the far side of the area. That was a pretty good chance.

09:22 PM BST

Goal!

Bayern 1 Arsenal 0 (Kimmich 64, agg; 3-2) Joshua Kimmich has powered Bayern in front! Sane’s cross from the right was pawed away by Raya. Guerreiro collected the ball near the byline on the far side and curled a lovely cross into the middle, where Kimmich ran off Martinelli and thumped a header into the net from eight yards. It was an emphatic header, though Arsenal will feel he had far too much space.

09:20 PM BST

61 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Harry Kane has been really quiet since the first five minutes, almost ominously so if you’re an Arsenal fan.

Musiala fires a good pass into Goretzka on the edge of the D. His shot is blocked by Saliba and spins behind for a corner.

09:18 PM BST

The finest of margins

Jorginho is playing a game of terrifyingly fine margins tonight. He’s produced some brilliant last-ditch slide tackles to stop counter-attacks, but has also been turned a few times by Musiala. His lack of pace means he often has to commit to those challenges. It is to his credit that so many of them have worked.

09:17 PM BST

57 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

After a fine run from Musiala, Guerreiro overhits a fairly simple pass to Kane on the edge of the area. Gabriel tries to turn the ball back to Raya, not realising Raya was running out to collect it himself. Thankfully for Arsenal it rolls behind for a corner; that could easily have been an embarrassing own goal.

09:15 PM BST

56 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Martinelli crosses dangerously towards Havertz, who has the ball taken off his toe at the near post by the stretching Dier. That’s excellent defending.

Arsenal are having a good spell here.

09:14 PM BST

54 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Odegaard turns Laimer neatly in midfield and is pulled back. Laimer is booked and Harry Kane has a grumble to the referee.

09:12 PM BST

53 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Play resumes and Arsenal have a decent spell of possession. Saka, who has been pretty quiet so far, wants a corner after running at Mazraoui. He doesn’t get it and replays suggest the last touch probably came off Saka.

09:09 PM BST

50 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Yeah it’s a problem with a contact lens. The break has come at a good time for Arsenal, who were under the pump for the preceding two or three minutes.

09:08 PM BST

49 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Neuer comes almost to the centre circle to stop Martinelli running through on goal, a superb bit of sweeper-keeping.

Now Tomiyasu is down, which means a break in play. He’s pointing to his right eye. Does he wear contacts?

09:06 PM BST

47 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Bayern hit the post twice in three seconds! Sheesh, that was so close. A flat, diagonal cross from Kimmich (I think) was met by Goretzka, who strained his neck muscles like the Incredible Hulk to force a header towards goal. It beat Raya, hit the far post and rebounded towards Guerreiro on the left side of the area. His vicious follow-up hit Saliba and ricocheted onto the outside of the same post.

09:05 PM BST

46 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Arsenal begin the second half, and Odegaard volleys over form a very tight angle inside 13 seconds.

Apparently Leroy Sane, who was a doubt for the game with a groin injury, spent most of half time on the field jogging around to keep his muscles warm.

08:53 PM BST

Arsenal the better team, but Bayern are always dangerous

Arsenal are the better team here. They just haven’t made it count. The problem is that Bayern probably have the better forward players, and there’s a permanent sense of threat around them. Bayern are not going to dominate this game and outwit Arsenal, but their forwards might do something special.

08:52 PM BST

HT: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

No goals in Munich, and no clear chances either, but it’s been an intriguing struggle. Both teams know this tie is about as close to 50/50 as you can get, and are therefore desperate not to concede the first goal.

The lively Gabriel Martinelli had Arsenal’s best chance, shooting straight at Manuel Neuer from Martin Odegaard’s cross. Harry Kane had two early efforts off target but was well handled by Gabriel and William Saliba thereafter.

08:46 PM BST

44 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Arsenal are ending the half as they started it, with lots of possession in the middle third. Odegaard seems okay for now.

08:45 PM BST

41 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Arsenal are having their best spell of the game. After another good bit of possession, White shoots over from distance.

08:43 PM BST

39 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Rice’s free-kick from the left is met by Havertz, whose backheader is comfortably saved by Neuer. That was a really difficult chance, if indeed it was a chance at all.

08:42 PM BST

38 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Rice robs Laimer 25 yards from goal, allowing Odegaard to fire the ball into Havertz on the left side of the area. There are two or three men in the middle but Havertz can’t pick them out. That was a chance.

Odegaard is limping, which is a worry for Arsenal.

08:40 PM BST

37 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Last week, Bayern felt they should have had a bizarre penalty when Gabriel picked up the ball. This week, they felt they should have been allowed to run the ball into an empty goal as Arsenal’s players gathered at the dugouts for a team-talk while Saka received treatment. By the letter of the law, Bayern might have had an argument on both occasions. In the spirit of the game, though... come on, now.

08:39 PM BST

36 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Controversy ahoy! Saka’s injury allows Mikel Arteta to call everyone else over for a team talk - and Bayern try to restart play with a three-on-none attack! The referee isn’t having it and the Bayern players grudgingly accept his decision.

08:38 PM BST

35 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Bayern take a short corner to Guerreiro, whose shot smacks Saka in the head and knocks him off his feet.

Ally McCoist, commentating on TNT Sports, has noticed that Bayern are leaving nobody back on corners.

08:35 PM BST

31 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Chance for Arsenal! Odegaard, on the right edge of the area, shifts the ball away from a defender and hits a fast, early cross towards Martinelli. He opens his body to shoot first-time but straight at Neuer.

The pace on the cross meant it wasn’t easy for Martinelli, but that was still the best chance so far.

08:33 PM BST

29 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Neuer dives to his right to palm away a long-range shot from Odegaard, a fairly straightforward save that was made slightly more difficult because he seemed to lose his footing.

Moments later he charges out to dive at the feet of Havertz, though replays show Havertz was offside so it was a false alarm.

08:31 PM BST

28 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

And now Arsenal are keeping the ball again. White gets behind the defence on the right, but his chipped cross bisects Havertz and Martinelli.

08:30 PM BST

26 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Bayern are pinning Arsenal back, the first time either side has had an extended spell of pressure. Tomiyasu relieves it a touch with an excellently judged challenge on Sane, who thought he was away down the right.

08:28 PM BST

25 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

This has been an impressively composed and measured start by Arsenal. They had 69% of the ball in the first 15 minutes. No panic, no stress. Just calm passing and control. Arteta has been co-ordinating the pressing from the dugout, pointing and urging his players to get into position.

When Bayern get through that initial press, though, they look very dangerous.

08:27 PM BST

24 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Raya makes another save, this time diving to his left to push away Musiala’s long-range curler. Bayern are turning the screw.

08:26 PM BST

23 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Good save by Raya! Bayern suddenly break three on three, with Guerreiro on the ball in the inside-left channel. He gets to the edge of the area and then pokes the ball through to Mazraoui, whose cross-shot takes a slight deflection off the lunging White and is pushed round the far post by Raya. I’m not certain it would have gone in but it was still a good save.

08:23 PM BST

21 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Arsenal keep the ball for 30 seconds or more until Rice’s shot from the edge of the area is blocked at source. They are certainly dominating possession, and moments later Martinelli zig-zags past three defenders in the area only to run out of room. He looks bright.

08:22 PM BST

18 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Jorginho is warned by the referee after a cynical foul on Musiala, who is buzzing between the lines with his usual menace.

08:19 PM BST

16 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Tomiyasu misreads Musiala’s flat crossfield pass, allowing Sane to take it on the chest and surge into the area. Arsenal are exposed for the first time but Gabriel, very well positioned at the near post, puts Sane’s cutback behind for a corner.

08:17 PM BST

15 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Bayern are happy for Arsenal to have the ball in midfield, but when they win it they are springing forward in numbers. At the moment both teams are hiding behind their jab, an understandable approach given what’s at stake.

08:15 PM BST

12 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Saka has his first run at the replacement left-back Mazraoui, beating him with ease before overhitting his cross. The way Saka beat Mazraoui will encourage Arsenal.

08:13 PM BST

11 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

It is a measure of the size of the occasion that Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke is here tonight. His son Josh is also in Munich, but he is a much more visible presence at the club generally. For Stan to be here is unusual.

08:10 PM BST

8 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

As Sam Dean suggested in the build-up, Arsenal have made a pretty cautious start. Martinelli, the most aggressive of their attackers so far, curls wide of the far post from 20 yards.

08:08 PM BST

6 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Kane has another effort at goal, shooting well wide from 20 yards after Musiala and Rice both slipped in midfield. Bayern are starting to rev up.

08:06 PM BST

4 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

An early quarter-chance for Kane, who stretches around a defender to volley Kimmich’s cross wide of the near post from about 12 yards. The move was started by a promising slalom from Sane on the right; he’s such a big threat to Arsenal tonight.

08:04 PM BST

2 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Lots of early possession in the middle third for Arsenal. Every touch will calm their nerves a little more, although they’ll need a lot of touches to get rid of them completely.

08:02 PM BST

1 min: Bayern 0 Arsenal 0 (agg; 2-2)

Bayern kick off from left to right as we watch. Arsenal are wearing their blue change strip.

07:58 PM BST

Here come the players

Specifically, these players. And since you asked, the atmosphere sounds spectacular.

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1) Neuer; Kimmich, de Ligt, Dier, Mazraoui; Goretzka, Laimer; Sane, Musiala, Guerreiro; Kane.
Subs: Upamecano, Kim, Choupo-Moting, Zaragoza, Peretz, Muller, Ulreich, Tel, Pavlovic.

Arsenal (4-1-4-1) Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Jorginho; Saka, Odegaard, Rice, Martinelli. Havertz.
Subs: Ramsdale, Partey, Gabriel Jesus, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Trossard, Vieira, Nelson, Elneny, Hein, Zinchenko.

Referee Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

07:52 PM BST

A relaxed Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports

07:47 PM BST

Springtime in Munich: 4°

Hard to tell what this means for the game... and it probably does not mean anything at all... but it is very, very cold in Munich tonight. At lot of players are in gloves during the warm-up. My phone says it’s four degrees and that feels a bit generous.

07:45 PM BST

Thomas Tuchel’s pre-match thoughts

07:24 PM BST

Experience versus innocence

There is a significant difference in big-game experience between these two teams. Since Arsenal last reached the Champions League semi-finals, in 2009, Bayern have got to the last four on eight separate occasions. The Germans, it is safe to say, know what they are doing at this stage of the competition.

Thomas Tuchel, however, did make the point on Tuesday that it can be easier as the underdog. Or, as he put it, the “hunter”. Arteta, who once motivated his team by beaming an image of a wolf-pack onto the dressing room television, will probably appreciate that imagery.

“It can sometimes be an advantage not to have the experience and have the role as contenders, the role as a hunter,” said Tuchel. “That can be Arsenal.”

07:19 PM BST

The players on a yellow card

Three gentlemen will miss the first leg of the semi-final if they are booked tonight: Leon Goretzka, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice. Careful now.

07:12 PM BST

Arsenal need courage, bravery – and caution

Right, then. It’s a big one, eh? For Bayern and Harry Kane, it is THE big one. Win or bust, basically. That is almost true for Arsenal, too, but at least they still have a title race to worry about (for now) if this all goes wrong tonight.

Much has been made in recent years of Arsenal’s personality, or lack of it, and we can assume that Mikel Arteta will be talking to his players about courage and bravery tonight. They will need to play their game in the right moments, while also remaining conscious of the dangers that Bayern pose. I’m expecting Arsenal to be more cautious than they were in the first leg.

07:00 PM BST

Tomiyasu’s first start since December

The teams are out and the big news for Arsenal is that Takehiro Tomiyasu starts at left-back. The lesser-spotted Takehiro Tomiyasu. He’s barely played in recent months, and has not started a club game since December 2nd (mainly because of injury issues, but also because of international commitments).

Tomiyasu is regarded as Arsenal’s best one-versus-one defender and Arsenal will need him to be at his sharpest tonight against Leroy Sane, who caused all sorts of problems in the first leg last week.

Further forward, Gabriel Martinelli starts on the left. This would be a good time for the Brazilian to rediscover his best form, after a patchy few months.

06:56 PM BST

Bayern Munich team news: Davies, Gnabry, Coman all out

Bayern make two changes from the first leg, both enforced. Noussair Mazraoui replaces the suspended Alphonso Davies at left-back, and Raphael Guerreiro comes in for the injured Serge Gnabry in front of him. The man who would have replaced Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, is also injured.

06:54 PM BST

Arsenal team news: Martinelli, Tomiyasu start

Mikel Arteta makes one change to the XI that started the first leg, with Takehiro Tomiyasu preferred to Jakub Kiwior at left-back.

That means Jorginho and Gabriel Martinelli, who were left out against Aston Villa on Sunday, both start. Jorginho was always going to play but Martinelli was battle for a place with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus.

06:52 PM BST

A big night for Thomas Tuchel

By John Horstmann

Tonight is not just a big game for Harry Kane, who has admitted that this season will be “a failure” unless Bayern Munich win the Champions League, but also for Thomas Tuchel.

The former Chelsea coach was brought in last season after the dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann, to salvage the hopes of Bayern winning a treble. They ended up bowing out in the quarter-finals in both the German Cup and the Champions League, while only scraping across the finish line in the Bundesliga.

This season, Bayern have failed to win the league for the first time since 2012, having been humiliated by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. They also lost in the second round of the cup to third-division Saarbrucken.

The Champions League represents the only chance left for Tuchel to rescue his stint in Munich.

In reaching the final with PSG in 2020 and winning the competition with Chelsea in 2021, he established himself as one of the best managers in the world.

At Bayern, his reputation has taken a hit, particularly given that his predecessor, Nagelsmann, is rumoured to be on the shortlist to replace him when he leaves his role this summer.

Beating one of England’s best teams and going on a deep Champions League run would be a huge boost for Tuchel and could have a significant impact on the level of clubs that are interested in him following his Bayern departure.

06:31 PM BST

Good evening

Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live, minute-by-minute coverage of a unique night in English football history. Two English sides – among the best in the world but with only one European Cup between them – face two of Europe’s supergiants (20 European Cups between them), knowing that if they both go through they will meet in a blockbuster all-English semi-final.

There’s more. Arsenal and Manchester City are already in a three-horse title race with Liverpool. And two of the biggest threats to their Champions League hopes – and English football’s potential hegemony – are England’s two best players, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.

Last week’s first legs were all kinds of fun, but they were never likely to be decisive. Only the apocalypse can stop tonight’s games from being decisive. Best of all, the two matches are taking place simultaneously.

You can follow Manchester City v Real Madrid (agg: 3-3) with Kieran Crichard, and we’ll be watching Bayern Munich v Arsenal (agg: 2-2). Both teams came away from last week’s first leg at the Emirates thinking they were denied a clear penalty; both will fancy their chances tonight.

Bayern’s list of absentees – Alphonso Davies, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman – should increase Arsenal’s chances of going through. This is an important night for their Premier League challenge, never mind the Champions League. If they go out tonight, on the back of Sunday’s meek, initiative-surrendering defeat at home to Aston Villa, their morale will be subterranean.

If they knock Bayern Munich out and reach their first Champions League semi-final since 2009, on the other hand, they will become the first Arsenal team ever to reach the semi-finals of Europe’s biggest competition while also having a genuine chance of winning the league. Ultimately they want to make more meaningful history, but that would be a good place to start.

‌“Most of our players have not experienced a night like this,” said Mikel Arteta yesterday. “They are super-motivated, they are prepared. They feel confident and it is something that we are going to have to show against an opponent that has this experience. But we want to make it happen.”

Kick off is at 8pm, and we’ll have team news shortly.