“I sense the belief there,” Arteta is hopeful that Gunners will do the job in Munich after a pulsating draw

Arsenal Manager, Mikel Arteta said he senses the belief that the Gunners can go and do the job in Germany after a 2-all pulsating draw in N5 on Tuesday evening.

Arsenal returned to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010 and they made a perfect start to the game with Bukayo Saka delightfully curled inside the far post to give his team the lead just 12 minutes into the game.

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However, the German champions for each of the past 11 years battled back, taking advantage of a defensive mix-up to level through former Arsenal winger, Serge Gnabry before grabbing a half-time lead thanks to Harry Kane’s penalty.

Arsenal showed character in the second half with substitutes, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard combined for the Belgian to strike our equalizer with 15 minutes remaining, Arsenal had a huge penalty shout turned down in the final minute of injury time, but it’s still all to play for in Munich in eight days.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Arteta said he still feels the belief that Arsenal can do the job in Munich, a place where they suffered 5-1 on their last visit.

“I am very proud, now 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,” he said.

“You have to feel it on the pitch, and the game state tells you and gives you a lot of information is the game there for the taking, raise the level of risk and commit more players forward, or do something out of the game, when it’s in a state, be careful and I think the game after scoring, giving three, four or five straight balls away and allow certain transition it wasn’t there to win it. It was closer to losing it if we made a few mistakes.

“Well I think we have made some mistakes today and the next time that happens there will be fewer 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.”

The second leg takes place in Munich next Wednesday, April 17 – and a reminder that the away goals rule is no longer in place. So if the game is going to be level on aggregate after 90 minutes in Germany, there will be extra time, then if needed penalties to decide who goes through to the last four to face either Real Madrid or Manchester City.

“I think we started the game well, we were dominant we played in the opponents’ half, 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 two-nil 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,” added Arteta.

Before last evening’s game, the Gunners had lost three straight games against Bayern with the same scoreline of 5-1.

Bayern Munich are locked in a season of desperate struggle on the home front, with their long-held Bundesliga domination about to be ended by Bayer Leverkusen and coach Thomas Tuchel leaving the club at the end of the campaign.

Old habits die hard, however, and the club with such a rich Champions League pedigree showed that they are always a force to be reckoned with in this competition.

Kane, inevitably, got on the scoresheet and played some glorious passes, although he was fortunate to escape stronger punishment than just a yellow card after Arsenal defender Gabriel was floored with an elbow in the second half.

Bayern, for all their poor form, still possess vast experience and the pace of Sane, Gnabry and Alphonso Davies, allied to Kane’s all-round brilliance, still makes them a stern proposition when they get it right.

They will be disappointed to concede a late equaliser but they would surely have settled for this result before kick-off.