Arsenal revived their Champions League hopes in thrilling fashion with a crucial victory over Bayern Munich at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners' hopes of reaching the knockout phase were in serious jeopardy after they lost their opening two games away to Dinamo Zagreb and at home to Olympiakos.
Arsene Wenger's side responded by beating Pep Guardiola's Bayern - clear favourites to win Group F - and make a nonsense of those dismal earlier performances.
Bayern dominated possession but Arsenal dug out the win that keeps their hopes alive when substitute Olivier Giroud bundled home from close range in the 77th minute after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made a rare error as he missed Santi Cazorla's free-kick.
The win was secured in the dying seconds when Mesut Ozil turned in Hector Bellerin's cross, Neuer clawing the ball out only for the officials to adjudge it had crossed the line.
Arsenal were indebted to keeper Petr Cech, restored after replacement David Ospina's mistake in the defeat by Olympiakos, saving superbly from Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal.
Neuer also excelled before his mistake, particularly with a sensational save from Theo Walcott's first-half header.
The faces of Manuel Neuer
Neuer is widely regarded as the world's best - but it was a mixed night for Germany's World Cup winner.
He produced a save only the greats can contemplate when clawing out Walcott's close-range header when a goal seemed certain.
Could Walcott's header have been directed better? Did he give Neuer just that slight chance of making a save that the best will always take advantage of?
Yes, but it was still a monument to reflexes, agility and technique as Neuer left Walcott dumbfounded, as well as Aaron Ramsey, who had already turned to celebrate.
Neuer, however, proved he was fallible as Arsenal took the lead, making an ungainly dash from goal and flapping hopelessly at Cazorla's cross to allow Giroud to scramble home with a hint of handball.
It happens to the best - and it may just have saved Arsenal's Champions League campaign.
Cech proves a point
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was uncharacteristically touchy when it was suggested he made a mistake in preferring David Ospina to first choice Petr Cech in their previous Champions League game at home to Olympiakos.
It backfired as Ospina dropped a simple catch from a corner into his own net in the damaging 3-2 defeat.
Wenger was defiant in the face of claims he had made a serious error but the case against him only got stronger with 33-year-old Cech's return and performance against Bayern Munich.
Cech was in the action quickly with a superb reflex save from Thiago and also showed his enduring athleticism to save from Vidal.
This is not to suggest Ospina is a poor keeper - the Colombian is not - but when you have a keeper of Cech's quality at your disposal it is folly to leave him out of a game you cannot afford to lose.
Wenger did make a mistake when he dropped Cech. This game proved it.
More to follow.
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (1) & SUBSTITUTIONS (5)
Arsenal
- 33 Cech
- 24 Bellerín
- 04 Mertesacker
- 06 Koscielny
- 18 Monreal
- 19 Cazorla
- 34 Coquelin
- 16 Ramsey (Oxlade-Chamberlain - 57' )
- 11 Özil
- 17 Sánchez (Gibbs - 82' )
- 14 Walcott (Giroud - 74' Booked )
Substitutes
- 02 Debuchy
- 03 Gibbs
- 08 Arteta
- 12 Giroud
- 15 Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 21 Chambers
- 49 Macey
Bayern Munich
- 01 Neuer
- 21 Lahm
- 17 Boateng
- 27 Alaba
- 18 Bernat
- 14 Alonso (Kimmich - 70' )
- 25 Müller
- 06 Thiago Alcántara
- 23 Vidal (Rafinha - 71' )
- 11 Douglas Costa
- 09 Lewandowski
Substitutes
- 08 Javi Martínez
- 13 Rafinha
- 15 Kirchhoff
- 16 Gaudino
- 26 Ulreich
- 29 Coman
- 32 Kimmich
Ref: Cüneyt Çakir
Att: 49,824
Live Text Commentary
Full time
Full TimeMatch ends, Arsenal 2, FC Bayern München 0.
90:00+4:25Full time
Full TimeSecond Half ends, Arsenal 2, FC Bayern München 0.
90:00+3:10Goal scored
Goal!Goal! Arsenal 2, FC Bayern München 0. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Héctor Bellerín.
90:00+2:11
Foul by Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München).
90:00+2:11
Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
88:57
Attempt saved. Thiago Alcántara (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by David Alaba.
88:25
Offside, Arsenal. Mesut Özil tries a through ball, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is caught offside.
86:49
Attempt blocked. David Alaba (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
86:27
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Petr Cech.
86:06
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Nacho Monreal.
84:25
Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the right wing.
84:25
Foul by Nacho Monreal (Arsenal).
83:53
Attempt blocked. Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Juan Bernat with a cross.
82:59Booking
BookingOlivier Giroud (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
82:57
Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
82:57
Foul by Olivier Giroud (Arsenal).
82:52
Attempt saved. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a cross.
82:16
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by David Alaba.
81:50Substitution
SubstitutionSubstitution, Arsenal. Kieran Gibbs replaces Alexis Sánchez.
80:22
Hand ball by Olivier Giroud (Arsenal).
Arsenal Fans dancing Sekem
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