Declan Rice believes a Champions League quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich is the “perfect” game for Arsenal to overcome defeat to Aston Villa.

The Gunners were deservedly beaten 2-0 by Unai Emery’s men at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon as Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins scored the goals to boost Villa’s top-four hopes.

Arsenal would have returned to the Premier League summit with a win but now sit second, two points behind reigning champions Manchester City.

There is no time for Mikel Arteta’s players to lick their wounds, however, as they travel to Germany for the second leg of their finely-poised Champions League quarter-final against Bayern.

A 2-2 draw in north London last week leaves the tie on a knife-edge and Rice feels such a big game is just what Arsenal need after a rare slip-up.

“It’s the perfect game for a reaction,” he said.

“We need a reaction on Wednesday night and it is a great chance to show our character and leadership. It’s time to go out there and hopefully get into the semi-finals of the Champions League.

“We have to park this to the side now. It’s gone, it’s a game of football. We’ve lost but we need to bounce back, that’s for sure.

“Going to the Allianz Arena, it’s going to be a special night. It’s time to pull our socks up and show everyone why we’re in this position.

“We’re gutted and disappointed we’ve lost a massive game but, it’s time for a reaction. We’ve been on such an amazing run since January, won so many football matches and got ourselves back into an unbelievable position after being written off at Christmas.”

This was former Arsenal boss Emery’s first trip back to the Emirates Stadium as Villa manager and the Spaniard severely dented the title charge of his old club.

Villa had already hit the woodwork through both Watkins and Youri Tielemans before substitute Bailey tapped home to break the deadlock late on.

With the hosts pushing for an equaliser, Watkins raced from his own half to latch onto a long ball and double the lead with a deft finish.

The win means fourth-placed Villa opened up a three-point gap on Tottenham in the battle for what looks like being the final Champions League place.

Like Arsenal, they now turn their attention to Europe as they prepare for the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final with Lille, having won the home leg 2-1.

“I definitely will take confidence from it and I think the team should take a lot of confidence from this game as well,” Bailey said of the victory at Arsenal.

“The way we played, coming to the Emirates – I think the way we set out was so strong and I think the team really didn’t give up too much and we created opportunities at the same time.

“I think from this, we should really take this game into consideration and give ourselves a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players to “stand up and be counted” after their Premier League title bid took a hit with defeat to Aston Villa.

Two late goals gave Unai Emery and his players a deserved 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium to boost their own top-four hopes.

In yet another twist in the title run-in, the Gunners were well beaten as Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins struck within three minutes of one another to stun the home fans.

Liverpool had lost at home to Crystal Palace earlier on Sunday and a fifth league defeat of the campaign for Arsenal leaves Mikel Arteta’s side in second – two points behind reigning champions Manchester City.

Asked if he was concerned Arsenal’s season could fizzle out – much as it did last season – from this point, Arteta’s reply was bullish.

“If one result is going to do that then we are not strong enough,” said the Spaniard, whose side had been unbeaten in the league in 2024 .

“That’s very simple. We had one of the best performances that we’ve had all season in the first half against a really good team. It should have been three or four (goals) or more. It didn’t happen. In the second half the momentum shifted.

“We could not control and generate what we did in the first half. We conceded two very poor goals and we lost the game.

“Congratulate the opponent and stand up. Now the moment is to stand up and be counted. When you win and win and win for four months it’s very simple to do it. The moment to do it is now.”

Villa were brilliant in a second half they dominated and their superiority eventually paid off as substitute Bailey tapped home at the back post before Watkins took advantage of Arsenal’s high line to burst through on goal and finish with aplomb.

The visitors had also hit the woodwork through both Watkins and Youri Tielemans and Arsenal must now recover ahead of the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final away to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, with the tie evenly-poised at 2-2.

“If you want to win championships, if you want to be there in the Champions League, when you have these moments you have to stand up,” added Arteta.

“If not that means that you don’t have a quality that is very necessary. Now it’s a big test for us.

“In any other league in the world if you won the number of games in a row that we did, you would be six or eight points clear. That is not the case here. That is the challenge.”

This was former Arsenal boss Emery’s first trip to the Emirates Stadium with his Villa side – who moved three points clear of Tottenham to strengthen their hold on fourth place in the quest for Champions League football.

“Of course, beating Arsenal here is very difficult and we needed to play and be focused 100 per cent and be very demanding in everything,” he said.

“We needed the biggest commitment to do better than we did against Manchester City (a 4-1 loss) that was the sample we used for this match.

“This is the level I want to get to with our players and progressively, we are getting better.”

Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins scored in the final six minutes as Aston Villa stunned Arsenal with a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium to put a huge dent in Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title hopes.

With Liverpool having gone down 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace earlier in the day, Arsenal stood to move three points clear of Jurgen Klopp’s side but they were left reeling from their first league loss of 2024 by a superb away performance by Villa, who moved three clear of Tottenham in the race to finish fourth.

Arteta’s team were on top during the first half and should have taken the lead when Leandro Trossard met a low cross from close range but saw his effort brilliantly turned away by the foot of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Moments before, Watkins had struck the inside of a post for Villa who were a constant threat on the counter-attack before taking control in the second half.

Youri Tielemans hit the crossbar just after the break, before two late goals handed the initiative in the title race to champions Manchester City, who lead the way by two points.

At Anfield, Eberechi Eze’s goal after 14 minutes, tapped in from Tyrick Mitchell’s cutback, proved the difference as Liverpool fell to a first home league defeat of the season.

Klopp’s side were guilty of profligate finishing with Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones all responsible for glaring misses, while goalkeeper Dean Henderson put in a fine display with a number of key saves.

Wataru Endo hit the crossbar in the first half when Palace failed to clear a corner, but they hung on for just a second victory under Oliver Glasner to leave Liverpool two points off the top.

Elsewhere, Fulham ran out 2-0 winners against West Ham at the London Stadium, Andreas Pereira scoring a goal in either half to damage the home side’s European ambitions.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa severely dented Arsenal’s Premier League title bid as two late goals gave them a deserved 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

In yet another twist in the run-in, the Gunners were well beaten as Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins struck within three minutes of one another to stun the home fans.

Liverpool had lost at Crystal Palace earlier on Sunday and a fifth league defeat of the campaign for Arsenal leaves Mikel Arteta’s side in second – two points behind reigning champions Manchester City.

Villa were brilliant in a second half they dominated and their superiority eventually paid off as substitute Bailey tapped home at the back post before Watkins took advantage of Arsenal’s high line to burst through on goal and finish with aplomb.

This was former Arsenal boss Emery’s first trip back here with Villa and it was one he would have enjoyed as the Spaniard danced up the touchline when Bailey broke the deadlock.

Sandwiched between both legs of a Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich, this Villa match was always going to prove a test for Arsenal and it was one they failed.

Kai Havertz forced Emiliano Martinez into a low save early on before both Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka saw efforts hit the side-netting.

Gabriel Magalhaes has been a rock at the back for Arsenal this season but he gifted possession to Watkins, who almost took full advantage only to see his shot come back off the inside of the post.

Arsenal went straight down the other end and almost took the lead themselves only for ex-Gunner Martinez to make a stunning reflex save to keep out a close-range Leandro Trossard attempt.

Saka then curled a shot inches wide as Arsenal could not find a way through to relieve some of the pressure building around the Emirates.

The sides went in level at the break but Villa were the much better outfit after the interval, restricting the hosts to just four shots in the second half.

With his side in the ascendancy, Emery turned to his bench and introduced Bailey in place of Moussa Diaby, although it was Youri Tielemans who came close moments later.

Oleksandr Zinchenko was caught in possession on the edge of his own box, with Tielemans robbing the ball and hitting both crossbar and post with a fierce drive.

Arteta replaced Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Jesus as he looked to freshen things up but in the closing stages it was Champions League-chasing Villa who would push on to get the three points their performance thoroughly deserved.

Bailey was in the right place at the right time as Lucas Digne’s low cross evaded everyone and landed at the back post where Bailey swept home into an empty goal.

Arsenal reacted by moving even higher up the pitch but it was to prove their undoing as a long ball over the top was raced onto by Watkins, who broke from his own half to collect, hold off Emile Smith Rowe and clip a wonderful finish over David Raya.

While the result could have a massive baring on the destination of the Premier League title, it also improves fourth-placed Villa’s hopes of Champions League qualification as they now move three points clear of Tottenham.

Bayern Munich forward Kingsley Coman is set for a spell on the sidelines with an adductor muscle injury, which will rule him out of the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Arsenal.

Coman suffered the setback during Bayern’s 2-0 win over Koln, having been forced off five minutes into the second half.

The 27-year-old France forward is now set to face an unspecified period of recovery.

A statement from the Bundesliga club on Saturday evening read: “Kingsley Coman will be out of action for FC Bayern for several weeks after the forward suffered an injury in his right adductor muscle in the Bundesliga home game against Koln on Saturday.

“This was confirmed following an examination by FC Bayern’s medical department.

“Coman injured himself after a movement in the Koln penalty area with no intervention from an opponent and had to be substituted in the 50th minute.”

Bayern drew 2-2 with Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in London on Tuesday night, with the return match set for the Allianz Arena on April 17.

Mikel Arteta insists title-chasing Arsenal are taking each game at a time as they head into their final seven matches of the Premier League season.

The Gunners went into the weekend leading Liverpool on goal difference and sitting a point ahead of Manchester City.

Arteta’s men, who drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Emirates on Tuesday, face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa on Sunday.

“It is the only thing possible to look at one day and one game,” Arteta told a press conference on Friday.

“It is the only thing that is possible because it’s the only thing that maintains your focus and determines the tasks that you have to do on the day, which is the only thing that you can control.”

The title race is set to go down to the wire as Arsenal set their sights on securing the Premier League title for the first time since 2004.

The north Londoners could find themselves knocked off top spot should Manchester City beat Luton and Liverpool pick up any points against Crystal Palace in the earlier fixtures.

Arteta called for his team to focus on themselves going into Sunday’s clash at the Emirates.

“We will know the results but we’ll still have our duty to win our game which is the only thing that we can control,” he added.

“That’s happened a few times already and it’s going to happen again in the next few weeks, so we’ll just focus on what we can do.

“It’s the most beautiful part of the season coming up right now and a very busy schedule. We’re going to have a really tough (game) against a really good side, and are we going to have to be really good to beat them.”

Injury-stricken Villa have some notable absences with the likes of Matty Cash, Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey and Boubacar Kamara ruled out of the tie.

Arteta wants Arsenal to take advantage of their opponent’s poor fortunes.

He said: “We always try to use things to our advantage. We don’t know what they are going to do and that’s nothing we can control. They still won last night and they are a really good side, so we know the danger and we know our strengths as well, and we’ll try to do what we have to do to win.”

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel said he will avoid Bayer Leverkusen securing the Bundesliga title on Sunday by watching Arsenal’s Premier League match against Aston Villa instead.

Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen are on the brink of being crowned champions and host Werder Bremen on Sunday.

Even if Bayern beat Cologne at the Allianz Arena a day earlier, Leverkusen – 16 points clear with just six matches remaining – will take their first title by seeing off Bremen.

However, Tuchel, whose side host Cologne fresh from a pulsating 2-2 Champions League draw at Arsenal on Tuesday night, will have his attention elsewhere.

“I won’t be watching the Leverkusen game on Sunday,” he said. “I’ll watch Arsenal.”

The Champions League is the only trophy still up for grabs for the German giants following a disappointing domestic campaign.

And ahead of the quarter-final return leg in Munich on Wednesday, Tuchel has hinted he will rotate his side for the visit of Cologne.

“We’ve got several days between Cologne and Arsenal, but there’s the consideration to throw in some other players and make some changes,” said the former Chelsea manager, who is leaving Munich at the end of the season.

“If we make changes, then it’s more to give players some match rhythm for Wednesday and not to rest anybody.”

Leroy Sane is among those unlikely to feature on Saturday.

The former Manchester City winger impressed for Bayern at the Emirates on Tuesday night before he was substituted in the second half.

“It’s about how much pain he can tolerate,” added Tuchel of Sane.

“We geared everything towards him being able to play for Arsenal. He was an important factor there and played a great game.

“Since he showed a reaction, we’re focusing on him on Wednesday. The plan is for him to return on Sunday or Monday. But if he plays, he’ll show a reaction in his pubic bone again, which will remain the case for the time being.

“It’s clear what assets and talent the boy has. But we’ve been waiting for him to score a competitive goal since October. He got off to an outstanding start to the season, but he’s slowed down a bit.

“The expectations before the Arsenal first leg were huge and he delivered. We expect him to keep pushing himself, then he’ll be a key player for us.”

Tuchel will watch Saturday’s match from the stands after he was shown a fourth yellow card of the season in last weekend’s shock defeat to Heidenheim.

Cologne are four points from safety and Bayern are unbeaten in their last 19 meetings against their opponents on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta credited his players for dealing with Arsenal’s “emotional” 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for the Gunners, who then conceded two quickfire goals before substitute Leandro Trossard struck to ensure the teams head to Germany all square.

Arteta admitted emotions were running high in north London but maintained that his players did well to deal with the pressure in order to score late on ahead of the second leg at Allianz Arena next week.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Sunday, Arteta said: “There was a lot to take from the game and especially how we managed emotionally.

“We were very dominant and ahead and in 15 minutes we were behind a top side and had to deal with that emotionally, which is really tough to do and I think the team did brilliantly to manage that situation.

“It’s something which you have to work on daily (dealing with emotions) when you are there you are ready, leaving stuff in your system and as a team being able to deal with them.”

Arsenal, on 71 points, lead the title race on goal difference as they continue their bid to lift their first league title since 2003.

Spanish boss Arteta says his players want to do even more in their final eight league matches and in the Champions League to clinch silverware at the end of the season.

When asked how defining the next few weeks are for Arsenal, Arteta added: “Very, for sure because we can be in the semi-finals of the Champions League and top of the Premier League so every game is going to define what our future looks like.

“They are super excited about what we are doing, the way the team is performing, winning matches, they want more.

“We know the task and challenge ahead of us and how good we have to be to win but we will try.

Injury-stricken Villa, whose patchy form has seen them pick up one win in five, have slipped out of the top four behind Tottenham.

Despite Villa’s domestic wobble, Arteta talked up Sunday’s hosts and fellow Spanish manager Unai Emery, who recently celebrated his 1,000th game in management with a 2-1 Europa Conference League win over Lille.

Arteta said: “Unai’s had such a big impact at the club in terms of performances and consistency. It is unbelievable what he is doing in European competition and I’m impressed.

“He’s unbelievable and he’s done it in so many different countries and he’s been incredibly successful.

“He’s close to my home town and I have huge admiration for him and I wish him the best after Sunday. What he’s doing is really impressive.”

What the papers say

Manchester City will be hoping to stave off competitors Liverpool, Barcelona and Paris St Germain for 21-year-old Bayern Munich forward Jamal Musiala according to the Independent. The 21-year-old from Germany has scored 10 goals in 23 matches in the Bundesliga this season.

The Mirror says Arsenal are now rethinking their plans for Brentford striker Ivan Toney due to the form of German forward Kai Havertz. The 24-year-old has scored five goals in his last seven matches, with the club now considering looking for a younger forward.

Chelsea could let 11 players leave the club this summer, the Sun says, with 24-year-old midfielder Conor Gallagher expected to be one of those players.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Viktor Gyokeres: The 25-year-old Sporting Lisbon forward is a top transfer target for Arsenal, but they will have to pay £85million to match the club’s release clause.

Piero Hincapie: Tottenham could look to sign the 22-year-old Bayer Leverkusen defender as manager Ange Postecoglou has made a defender one of his priorities in the summer, Teamtalk says.

Cesc Fabregas believes Arsenal could go on to dominate English football in the coming years if they can get over the line in this year’s Premier League title race.

The Gunners currently lead a three-way battle with Liverpool and Manchester City, sitting on top of the table ahead of the Reds on goal difference.

Having fallen away from the title race last season, Mikel Arteta’s side are sticking around and former midfielder Fabregas says the mindset will change by becoming winners this term.

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“Obviously you can imagine what it will mean. More than just winning a title but the belief will be back, the trust between the players and the staff and the fans and the whole club,” the Spaniard, who played over 300 times for the Gunners, told the PA news agency.

“The family that was there when I was there will be back, the moments of ‘we are strong and we know we can win’; at the moment it is a little bit ‘are we ready are we not’?

“If they can manage to win the first one, I believe it could become a constant threat for Arsenal to be challenging for all the top titles.”

Arteta, whose side drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, came under pressure at the start of his tenure as his project took time to come to fruition.

But the Gunners stuck with him and Fabregas, who is now assistant manager at Italian Serie B club Como, says his former club are an example of how to do things properly.

“It is all about Edu and the owners giving him the time and the right tools to prove himself,” he said.

“When this happens, the structure, the vision and the trust comes together and things happen. That is why I am happy.

“I always use them as an example, the first two years of Mikel, in any other club or someone else managing the situation could have just got rid of Mikel and said ‘we are moving to another direction’.

“But they had a clear plan, a clear process, they had the right steps, they invested in young quality players and now you get all the results of these ups and downs of the first two or three years.

“They are there, they have done really well and they are a proper example of how football should be done.”

Fabregas will be donning his boots again as he has signed up to Enterprise’s ‘Rent-A-Player’ campaign, where he will join a lucky five-a-side team in the UK for one night only.

The 2010 World Cup winner knows all about the physicality and passion of English football after long spells at Arsenal and Chelsea, so knows to bring his shin pads.

“For me it will be a great experience, he added. “Talking to people, seeing different views of football. I guess it’s like street football and exchanging stories, thoughts, experiences. It is going to be fantastic.

“I will definitely be taking the shin pads because these games are very competitive, you never know where it might lead.”

:: Entry to Enterprise’s ‘Rent-A-Player’ competition closes on Friday, April 12, with applicants in the UK able to enter via enterpriserent-a-player.com

Leandro Trossard believes a “top level” performance is required to topple Bayern Munich after salvaging Arsenal a 2-2 draw from a captivating Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Gunners substitute Trossard levelled with 14 minutes remaining on Tuesday evening to leave the tie perfectly poised ahead of next week’s return match at Allianz Arena.

Former Arsenal forward Serge Gnabry and ex-Tottenham striker Harry Kane had turned the contest in Bayern’s favour following Bukayo Saka’s early opener.

“They have showed how they can hurt us so we need to work on that for next week,” Trossard told his club’s website.

“If we are at our top level, we can beat them. Hopefully we can finish it there.

“The confidence is really high. We’re playing so well the last weeks, months and it’s just nice that we had the equaliser.

“It was a perfect goal for us and it was a great feeling.

“It’s so important to go to Munich and have that result, so it’s all to play for.”

Ben White wasted a golden chance to double Arsenal’s lead after Saka’s 12th-minute strike sparked wild scenes at Emirates Stadium.

A defensive lapse allowed Gnabry to equalise before England captain Kane converted from the penalty spot when Leroy Sane’s mazy run was halted by the dangled leg of William Saliba.

The Premier League leaders were later given a let off when Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg opted not penalise a bizarre handball by Gunners defender Gabriel inside his own 18-yard box.

Trossard capitalised on the fortune by clinically finished his 13th goal of the season following fine work from fellow replacement Gabriel Jesus before Arsenal were denied a last-gasp penalty when Bukayo Saka went down under a challenge from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Mikel Arteta’s men were left with contrasting emotions at the end of a breathless affair.

“It’s a mixed feeling, I would say,” said the 29-year-old Belgium forward.

“We started so well the first half – the first 15, 20 minutes we could have been up by three goals – and then you can see their quality, especially up front they have individual quality.

“They are so strong on the counter attack and that’s where they hurt us. At the end, we’re happy with the equaliser and we have to do it there. It will be a tough game.”

Harry Kane says the bitter pill of Bayern Munich’s doomed Bundesliga title defence and the prospect of a Wembley final is fuelling his desire for Champions League glory.

Former Tottenham star Kane returned to haunt familiar foes Arsenal by converting a first-half penalty in Tuesday evening’s thrilling quarter-final first leg which ended tantalisingly poised at 2-2.

Bayern’s 11-season run as German champions could be over before next week’s return match with the Gunners as unbeaten runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen sit 16 points clear with only 18 left to play for.

England captain Kane has understandably written off domestic silverware but retains hope of ending the season on a high under the arch of his country’s national stadium on June 1.

“Look, it’s a competition that the club want to win,” he said.

“Not winning the Bundesliga this year is a tough pill to swallow and it makes this competition even more important but we know there’s still a long way to go.

“We have to find that togetherness, we have to find that team ethic where we grind out games because we haven’t done it enough this year.

“In the Champions League, we’ve done well, had a good campaign but we will need more of that if we want to go all the way to Wembley.”

Kane was cast in the role of pantomime villain at a raucous Emirates Stadium and responded with his 15th career goal against the Gunners to help keep Bayern’s season alive.

The 30-year-old, who now has a remarkable tally of 39 goals this term, sees parallels between his current team’s predicament and when Spurs reached the 2019 Champions League final despite finishing 27 points adrift of champions Manchester City in the top flight.

“That campaign itself is similar because we weren’t having a great time in the league if I’m totally honest,” he said

“But we found some passion and togetherness in the Champions League and we managed to get to the final.

“That experience gives me hope that we can find that again, we know we can perform in the big games and try to get back to the final.

“Being at Wembley is also extra motivation for me personally being my national stadium and it’s still there to try and achieve.”

Bayern departed north London feeling aggrieved after Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg opted against penalising Arsenal defender Gabriel for inexplicably picking up the ball in his own box after a David Raya goal kick in the 67th minute.

Manager Thomas Tuchel branded the decision “horrible”, while Kane and fellow ex-Spurs man Eric Dier were both left bemused.

Arsenal later appealed for an added-time penalty when Bukayo Saka tumbled under a challenge from visiting goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

“It was a stonewall penalty and I don’t know why the ref didn’t give it,” Kane said of the Gabriel incident.

“It would have been strange. But the ref blew the whistle (for play to resume), he (Raya) passed it, he (Gabriel) picked it up, it would have been child like but that’s not our problem.

“The rules are the rules. Maybe they should have had one, we should have had one.”

Bayern’s sense of injustice was heightened by Leandro Trossard’s 76th-minute equaliser after goals from former Arsenal forward Serge Gnabry and Kane overturned Saka’s early opener.

Kane hopes to harness the passion of a packed out Allianz Arena in the second leg, having been relentlessly jeered by home supporters as the six-time European champions played in the absence of travelling fans due to a UEFA sanction.

“I think they have a soft respect for me, the Arsenal fans,” said Kane. “I was a fan when I was younger so I know how it goes and, for me, I just try to perform.

“For some reason, I get a lot of penalties at the Emirates and I’ve been happy I’ve been able to put them away and it will be nice to be at home next and in front of the Munich fans.

“It was hard with no fans, strange to have no-one there for us but I thought we dealt with it well and I think you’ll see them even more excited next week having not been to this game and maybe even louder than they usually are.

“Hopefully we can use that energy to our advantage and really try to put the pressure on.”

Harry Kane scored his 15th goal in 20 appearances against Arsenal as Bayern Munich drew 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium in the Champions League.

The former Tottenham striker enjoyed a prolific record in north London derbies and a summer change of scenery made no difference.

Here, the PA news agency looks at his record against his long-time rivals.

Scourge of the Gunners

Kane, released from Arsenal as an eight-year-old written off by then-academy boss Liam Brady as “a bit chubby”, wasted little time in senior football in showing them the error of their ways.

He scored both Spurs goals in his first derby, a 2-1 win in February 2015, and five in his first four Premier League games against the Gunners.

He was finally kept at bay in Arsenal’s 2-0 win in November 2017, and in a pair of League Cup ties, but scored in nine of his first 10 league derbies.

With 14 goals in 17 games, the Gunners were his third-favourite Premier League opponent – he scored 18 against Leicester and 15 versus Everton, in 16 appearances against each. Only he, Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand, Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney have scored more than 14 against a single opponent in the competition, with Shearer’s 20 against Leeds a record.

Spurs won six, lost six and drew five of those 17 games but won five, drew five and lost only two when Kane scored. The two League Cup meetings brought one win apiece.

The goal for Bayern means he has scored at least once against Arsenal in each of the last 10 seasons.

On the spot

Kane put Bayern ahead in the 32nd minute on Tuesday from the penalty spot, a frequent source of goals for him against Arsenal.

William Saliba’s foul on Leroy Sane gave Kane the chance and he calmly sent David Raya the wrong way.

Of the 15 goals he has now scored against the Gunners, eight have been penalties – five out of six between 2016 and 2019 and each of his last three going back to May 2022.

The England captain has a 100 per cent record from penalties against Arsenal in his career.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel fumed at the referee’s explanation for allowing Arsenal to escape punishment for a “kid’s mistake” during an exhilarating Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Bayern felt they were denied a clear penalty in the 66th minute of the breathless 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium after Gunners defender Gabriel inexplicably picked up the ball following a David Raya goal kick.

Swedish match official Glenn Nyberg reportedly opted against awarding a spot-kick due the bizarre nature of the incident, with his on-field explanation branded “horrible” by former Chelsea manager Tuchel.

Six-time European champions Bayern led 2-1 at that stage before Gunners substitute Leandro Trossard levelled the tie ahead of next week’s return match in Munich.

“The referee made a huge mistake,” said Tuchel.

“I know it was a crazy situation. They put the ball down, he whistles and the defender takes the ball with his hands.

“What makes us really angry is the explanation on the pitch. He told our players it was a ‘kid’s mistake’ and he won’t give a penalty for that in a Champions League quarter-final.

“It’s a horrible, horrible explanation. Kid’s mistake, adult’s mistake, whatever – we feel angry because it was a huge decision against us.”

Bukayo Saka fired the hosts into a 12th-minute lead on a raucous north London evening.

But former Arsenal forward Serge Gnabry equalised before a penalty from ex-Tottenham striker Harry Kane turned the match in the Bavarians’ favour.

Trossard equalised and a helter-skelter contest threatened to have a late twist as Bayern substitute Kingsley Coman hit a post in the 90th minute before Saka was denied an added-time spot-kick after tumbling under a challenge from visiting goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who offered no opinion on the Saka incident, rued a big chance missed by Ben White at 1-0 and defensive errors but remained upbeat about progressing to the last four.

“We started the game really well, we were dominant, we played in the opponents’ half,” he said.

“We generated some momentum, scored the first goal 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 have given them two goals today and when you have this situation they are going to punish you.

“In a 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.

“I sense the belief there, we are going to go to Munich and have the chance to win it and we’re going to be better in certain areas and that’s how we are going to prepare it.”

Harry Kane knew it was not just Bayern Munich fans who wanted him to score on his return to north London in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal.

Tottenham’s record scorer was back at the Emirates Stadium for the first time since leaving Spurs in the summer and scored his customary goal when he converted a first-half penalty to put the German side 2-1 up before half-time.

Kane kept his cool after Leroy Sane had been fouled not long after Serge Gnabry had cancelled out Bukayo Saka’s early opener.

No opposition player has scored more goals at the Emirates than Kane, who scored plenty of penalties for Spurs over the years and he knew his old fans would have been watching.

“I think they have a soft respect for me,” he said of Arsenal fans who were goading him during his interview on TNT Sports.

“I know there wasn’t just Bayern Munich fans watching this game tonight, so maybe there was a little bit more pressure. It is always a tough game.

“I have done a bit of research of the penalties against Porto, he (David Raya) was reading it into the corners early so I had to change my style a little bit.

“It was nice to see him go early and make it easy for me.”

Leandro Trossard’s second-half strike ensured it ended 2-2 and leaves it finely poised for next week’s second leg in Munich.

Kane said: “You have seen it over the last couple of years, probably my last season at Tottenham, they were really strong and had a good go at winning the league.

“They are a really good team, we changed how we defended without the ball. More of a 4-4-2 and had to work and dig deep.

“We know we are playing a top team and they are on top of Premier League for a reason. Tough game.”

The Champions League represents Kane’s only real chance of silverware in his debut season in Munich following his side’s capitulation in the Bundesliga title race.

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Despite their poor league campaign, Kane has loved his debut season in Germany, where he has scored 39 goals in 38 matches.

He added: “It’s been an amazing experience, of course the league hasn’t gone the way I or the club would have wanted it to go, but for me personally it has been an amazing experience.

“To see a different culture, to see a different league, it has been a great step in my career.

“The league has gone this year but I am at Munich for a long time and I know we will come back stronger.”