In a gripping Champions League encounter on Tuesday night, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lamented a pivotal opportunity squandered by Ben White, which proved decisive in the Gunners’ 2-2 stalemate against Bayern Munich.
The match saw Arsenal initially seize control with a goal from Bukayo Saka, only to be overtaken after Serge Gnabry found the net and Harry Kane converted a penalty.
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With just 14 minutes left on the clock, Leandro Trossard struck back to level the scores.
The drama intensified at the match’s conclusion when Bukayo Saka’s plea for a penalty was dismissed, following a clash with Bayern’s Manuel Neuer—a decision that Swedish official Glenn Nyberg upheld, much to Saka’s dismay.
Arteta pinpointed White’s missed chance during Arsenal’s lead as a turning point, suggesting it was a missed opportunity that ultimately had significant repercussions for the team.
‘I think we started the game really well, we were dominant we played in the opponents’ half, we generated some momentum, scored the first goal,’ Arteta said after the game.
‘And then it’s a critical moment of the match, Ben White is in front of Neuer to make it 2-0 and we have to put the ball in the back of the net and it becomes a different moment, and then in Champions League you cannot give anything to the opponent.
‘We had given them two goals today and when you have this situation they are going to punish you.
‘The margins are really small in this competition, it’s really difficult to penetrate the opponents and create big quality chances against this level of opposition, make sure you don’t give them anything but I think the team showed a lot of composure especially after 2-1 because you can throw your toys away and generate a lot of spaces for the opponent and lose the tie in 20 minutes.
‘We haven’t done that and I think the subs made a huge impact and the way they came on the pitch, the body language, the attitude, the initiative to make things happen made a big difference to the team.’
When asked what the mood was like in Arsenal’s dressing room after the match, Arteta said: ‘Yeah obviously, in certain way we are alive and we’ve done what we had to do when the game became very difficult for us but as well as understanding that we have to step up the level in certain aspects of the game, to be much better and to have a real chance to win the game.
‘I think we have made some mistakes today and for the next time for that to happen there are less and okay it happened today but let’s learn from it, let’s support those players who have been unbelievable and it’s part of football.’
