Arteta: "The team reacted well"

Momentum swung this way and that on a pulsating, eventful night at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, and at the final whistle Mikel Arteta said he was proud of the way his side battled back.

Amid a fervent atmosphere in a stadium full of Gooners, we got off to a great start, and went ahead through Bukayo Saka’s 12th-minute strike. Ben White had a great chance to double our lead before our visitors turned it around, and threatened to go further ahead before the break.

In the end, Leandro Trossard’s strike means we go to Munich with the tie very much still within our control. 

“It was a really intense match,” the manager said. “I think we started really well. We started to dominate it, to play in the opponents’ half and we generated some momentum, scored a really good goal with B. And there obviously was the moment in the match when Ben White is in front of Neuer to make it 2-0 and then the game and the tie changes quickly. 

"We didn’t [score] and then unfortunately today, we have given two very poor goals away and against a team with that individual quality, they’re going to punish you.”

We regained some defensive control after the interval, preventing Bayern from having a single shot on target in the second 45 minutes, and were finally rewarded with our second goal.

“The team reacted really well,” Arteta added, “because the game can become very chaotic and you can start to lose some discipline and start to allow them to run, and in that moment, you can lose the tie.

“The team never did that, we made some changes, we were dominant again and the subs again provided a great moment that poses the tie 50-50 and now we have to go to Munich.

“We want more, and we’re going to have an amazing one in Munich, and now to recover. On Sunday we have a tough one against Villa and then we go again.”