Bayern Munich and Arsenal drew 2-2 at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, in the third round of the Champions League league phase, in front of 75,000 spectators. Arsenal took the lead in the 25th minute through Eberechi Eze, whose goal was awarded following a VAR review, Alphonso Davies equalised for Bayern in the 35th minute, and Harry Kane put the home side ahead with a penalty in the 61st minute, before Declan Rice scored the equaliser in the 82nd minute from an assist by Viktor Gyökeres. The draw leaves Arsenal on seven points from three games, in seventh place, and Bayern on five points, in 14th, with two draws and one win.
The argument that Arsenal earned a point rests on the way they controlled the match in the second half. They had 53.9 percent of possession and 14 shots against Bayern’s 13, with five on target for each side, and they won five corners to three. Rice’s goal came from the right side of the box, after Gyökeres had set him up, and it came 21 minutes after Kane’s penalty. Eze’s opening goal came from the left side of the box with a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner, after a through ball by Martin Ødegaard, and it stood after the officials checked it. Arsenal also committed only six fouls in the match, compared with 15 by Bayern.
The counter-argument is that Bayern had the better of the individual moments. Davies equalised with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box after a through ball from Kane, and Kane then scored the penalty, converting it with a right-footed shot to the top left corner in the 61st minute. That gave Bayern the lead for 21 minutes in a match in which they had less of the ball, and it showed the effectiveness of their forward line. Kai Havertz was booked in the 13th minute and Ezri Konsa in the 39th, so Arsenal also had two players carrying yellow cards, and a penalty was given against them. Bayern’s total of 13 shots was one fewer than Arsenal’s, but both teams put five on target, so the draw reflects an even contest.
The result matters for the table because both clubs now have a position to defend. Arsenal have two wins and a draw, with six goals scored and two conceded, which gives them a goal difference of plus four and seven points, while Bayern have scored 10 goals and conceded five, for plus five, but have only five points because they have drawn twice. In a league phase in which every point counts, two draws from three games leave Bayern behind 13 clubs that have won more matches. For Arsenal, an away draw in Munich after leading and trailing is a good result, and it keeps them within two points of the five unbeaten teams on nine points.
Both sides had reasons to be satisfied and disappointed. Arsenal came back through Rice, and Bayern were let down by conceding in the 82nd minute with a lead to defend. The next round will show whether Arsenal’s seven points or Bayern’s five are the better base.