Harry Kane urges Bayern Munich calm after 1st loss of season
LONDON – Harry Kane urged Bayern Munich to remain composed after the Bundesliga champions suffered their first loss of the campaign, a 3-1 defeat against Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Jurriën Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scored for Arsenal to secure a fifth straight win in Group A and move three points clear at the top. Lennart Karl pulled one back for Bayern, who had been unbeaten in all competitions prior to their visit to the Emirates Stadium.
Bayern entered the match on the back of a strong European performance away to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, but their run was halted by an Arsenal side that pressed aggressively and dominated the physical exchanges in the second half.
“It’s our first loss of the season and we don’t want to panic too much about it,” Kane told TNT Sports. “We will learn from it for sure. They won the first and second balls. Set pieces were dangerous. But I’m sure we’ll see them again in the later stages of the Champions League.”
Kane added that Bayern struggled to sustain their level after the break. “The first half was fairly even. In the second half, we didn’t quite have the same energy or intensity and we lost too many duels,” the England captain said.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his side’s display and highlighted the significance of beating a team he described as the “best in Europe.” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was cautious in response to that assessment, insisting the competition will ultimately be decided later in the season.
“We had this discussion three weeks ago when we played PSG,” Kompany said. “I don’t think any of us want to be the best team in November. We’re trying to build our season towards the important moments.”
The defeat brings pressure on Bayern to respond quickly in the group stage, while Arsenal strengthened their credentials as one of the early contenders for the title.