Arsenal v Bayern Munich live: Gunners emerge as Champions League favourites after dominant win over German side

In the space of four days, Tottenham have shown there really are different ways to lose a football match.

Four touches in the opposition penalty area in defeat to your greatest rivalis not the one. A young, vibrant side taking the game to the effervescent European champions Paris Saint-Germain is.

On paper, conceding five goals is hardly going to completely win over disgruntled masses still smarting from the tedium of Sunday’s North London derby disaster. Those who can see the wood for the trees, however, will afford Thomas Frank a little grace now, at least.

The report from Liverpool’s surprise loss...

Arne Slot’s excellence against Dutch clubs propelled him to Liverpool. Now it is a sign of how everything seems to be going wrong for Slot that even that prowess appears to have deserted him. Peter Bosz was the Dutch master of Anfield as, scarcely believably, Liverpool suffered a ninth defeat in 12 games. They did not just lose. They were hammered.

PSV Eindhoven pipped Slot’s Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title two seasons ago, beat his Liverpool in what was, for the Merseyside club, a dead-rubber in January and now defeated them again in a rather more meaningful match and with rather greater consequences. Not merely because Liverpool now look unlikely to book a top-eight finish in the Champions League’s initial phase, either.

Twelfth in the Premier League, hit for four by PSV, this is crisis time for Slot and Liverpool. The sense that they were on the road to recovery, amplified by victory over Real Madrid, has given way to three losses, with 10 goals conceded in them. For the first time in Slot’s tenure, they were breached four times at Anfield.

The huge games keep coming for the Gunners, who face second-place Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend.

There’s just six points in it at the top but an Arsenal win would be a huge step towards the title you’d think.

That one kicks off at 4.30pm on Sunday, 30 November.

The continent’s top teams are now past the halfway stage of the 2025/26 Champions League league phase, with each of the 36 clubs involved having played five of their eight matches ahead of the knockout rounds starting in February.

The competition has already seen some blockbuster matches as some of the continent’s top sides have faced off – with Chelsea securing a famous win over Barcelona and Arsenal dominating Bayern Munich – and the race for the automatic qualification places is beginning to heat up.

The teams who finish in the top eight in the table will qualify for the knockout rounds automatically, with those sides in ninth to 24th facing off in play-off ties in order to qualify for the knockout rounds proper. The competition for places is already close, with only four points separating sixth-placed Dortmund and Union SG in 25th.

Premier League clubs dominated the early matches in the league phase – with Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Newcastle United all previously occupying places in the top eight – and though the Blues continued that trend with the win over Barcelona, recent losses for City, Newcastle and Liverpool mean that some of the English clubs need to start picking up wins if they want to ensure automatic qualification.

So, with four matches left and each club facing drastically different schedules, could each Premier League side finish in the top eight automatic qualification places?

Bayern Munich striker and England captain Harry Kane, speaking to TNT Sports: "It was a tough game which is kind of what we expected. It was a good battle in the first half which was fairly even.

"Second half we didn’t quite have the same energy or intensity and we lost too many duels. It's our first loss of the season. We don’t’ want to panic too much about it. But we will learn about it for sure.

"They won the first and second balls. Set pieces, we knew they would be dangerous. I'm sure we'll see them [Arsenal] again in the later stages of the Champions League.

"They defended man for man pretty much all over the pitch. As I said, I don’t think it’s time to panic. We have played Chelsea, and Paris St-Germain and Arsenal away. We have won the majority of our games,” he added.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had this to say to TNT Sports:

"Probably the overall performance and the way we dominated the game [pleased him most]. This game was going to require a different dimension, and individually we were exceptional.

"This will bring more confidence and trust to the players. We made changes. The players performed in an incredible way. I am so pleased, I thought we were excellent.

"It's very important to have them back and available [Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard]. The impact the players are showing is remarkable."

On whether it feels like it could be Arsenal's season in the Champions League: "I don't know. We're going to enjoy tonight and then start to prepare for the weekend. There is still so far to go."

Here’s the rest of what Rice said to TNT:

"It's been so easy to play with Martín Zubimendi. From the first moment we had with each other in pre-season, I just knew we'd play some good football. I really like him, he's such a nice guy,” he explained.

"He is Spain's No 6 and you know what Spain No 6's are like. He has been so, so good for us.

"Every game requires something different. Every player knows their role,” he added.

Declan Rice was the next Gunners player to speak to TNT. Here’s what he had to say:

"Look at Bayern Munich this season, they have been the best team in Europe. This was probably the toughest game tactically we have played this season. The way they work it is so, so good.

"We went man to man with them in the second half and I thought tonight we were outstanding. The manager is so happy. It was a special European night.

"Yes, definitely [it feels different to last season]. There are so many leaders in the team. We are just taking it one game at a time. There is a hunger and desire to win every game. There is a long way to go - let's not get carried away,” he added.

That win takes Arsenal three points clear at the top of the table, with the Gunners leading over PSG and Bayern with 15 points and one goal conceded!

Bayern move down into third, level on points with PSG, Inter and Real Madrid.