Someone pinch me! Did it really happen?
I dreamt that Arsenal beat overwhelming favorites Bayern Munich last night.
I woke up this morning to BBC sports news and the headlines confirmed that what I saw in my dreams was in fact a reality.
Before last night’s Group F showdown, many predicted that Bayern Munich will be too hot for the Gunners to handle.
Since the 19th of September, Arsenal had only managed to win three out of five games. In contrast, Bayern Munich had won their last five games. Pep Guardiola’s well oiled machine put five past Dinamo Zagreb and Borrusia Dortmund. In five games, the German Champions had scored a total of fourteen goals.
Robert Lewandowski’s scary stats did little to encourage the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Per Metersacker and Peter Cech to attend the match. The polish hit man had scored 10 goals in his last three matches.
These stats were sufficient enough evidence that Arsenal were likely to forfeit the encounter rather than risk being victims of Thomas Muller & Co.
Boy were we all wrong……
During Bayern Munich’s preparation for the Arsenal game, their team bus was reportedly involved in a minor crash when it reversed into a parked vehicle. That little accident was nothing compared to their crash on the pitch. Arsenal like that parked vehicle appeared to be stationary at the bottom of Group F after losing their opening two games.
So how did this “miracle” happen?
The Element of Surprise
Over the years, Arsene Wenger has been accused of being too one dimensional in his approach to important matches.
Last night, Arsenal finally seemed to have mastered the art of counter attacking football.
Arsene Wenger appeared to have humbled himself and asked Jose Mourinho to borrow his bus to park as the North London giants retained just 27 per cent possession at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal even recorded just 13 shots to Bayern’s 21.
Peter Cech
Apart from the bus tactics, something else was taken from Chelsea – a reliable goalkeeper. Peter Cech was equal to eight of Bayern Munich shots on target. His string of fine saves kept the Gunners in the game.
Luck and the Invention of Goal-Line Technology
Olivier Giroud enjoyed a little bit of luck after a mistake by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for the first goal.
The second goal by Mesut Ozil was evidence of how goal-line technology is benefiting the beautiful game. A few years ago, this goal might have gone unnoticed.
Thankfully for the Arsenal faithful, the referee’s watch beeped within one second to indicate that the ball indeed crossed the line.
Prayer
After Douglas Costa disgraced Hector Bellerin on national television in the first half, most Arsenal fans were forced to seek spiritual intervention.
After enduring relentless pressure throughout the ninety minutes of football, the result proved that
Prayer works………