Arsenal‘s 15 year semi-final drought will extend another year, after the Gunners were bundled out of the Champions League in Germany on Thursday (AEST).
Joshua Kimmich’s emphatic 63rd minute header was all that separated Bayern Munich from Arsenal as the home team won a tense second leg of the quarter-final 1-0 at Allianz Arena.
The evenly matched sides had played out a pulsating 2-2 in last week’s first leg in London.
Watch every goal and every minute of the 2024 UEFA Champions League knockout rounds, streaming ad free, live and exclusive on Stan Sport
“It’s a fantastic goal,” former Socceroos captain Craig Foster said on Stan Sport.
“They were better than Arsenal. They were more effective. Roughly 50/50 with the ball but in terms of efficiency and creating chances, Bayern were quite a good distance ahead. They demonstrated their experience.
“Being at home, very strong, they’ve got an incredible record there. You knew that Arsenal were going to find it difficult. I must admit I had a feeling that they might come up with the performance of their life after having been so brilliant this year in particular and so many goals.
READ MORE: Huge blow for Panthers as top prop signs with rival
READ MORE: ‘A different person’: How Tokyo heroics changed McKeon
READ MORE: Axed star opens up on ‘draining’ Souths drama
“I couldn’t see them remaining scoreless in this game. But credit to Bayern, they’ve they’ve got the job done. (Manager Thomas) Tuchel once again demonstrates his experience. And for the Gunners, gee, it’s a big, big loss.”
Arsenal last reached the semis in 2009 after losing the 2006 final against Barcelona.
Their exit was especially painful after their Premier League title hopes were rocked on Monday (AEST) by a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa.
Arsenal now sit second in the league, two points behind defending champions Manchester City.
Bayern, a six time European champion now headlined by England captain Harry Kane, had lost in the quarter-finals of the three previous Champions League seasons.
It kept alive Bayern’s hopes of finishing the season with a trophy three days after Bayer Leverkusen ended their 11 year reign as German champion.
Bayern and Arsenal have been drawn together five times in the knockout stages of the Champions League since 2005 and the German team has won each time. – with AP
