Arsenal vs Bayern: Rio Ferdinand slams Gunner’s defending as naive

Arsenal’s dream of a Champions League upset against Bayern Munich turned sour on Tuesday night, as a first-half lead crumbled due to defensive lapses.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand wasn’t impressed with Arsenal’s defending, particularly Saliba’s challenge.

He labelled the challenge of the Frenchman, which resulted in a penalty, as “naive” and questioned Arsenal’s focus on allowing Sane such a clear run into the box.

Harry Kane stepped up and coolly converted the penalty, silencing the home crowd.

“At that point, they were shattered. He’s [Neuer] taken Mickey at Emirates flicking it up above his left foot,” said Ferdinand on TNT Sports.

“Kiwior, you have to win your one-on-one battle. You can’t allow that. And once he [Sane] gets beyond him here, it’s all about Leroy Sane he’s deceptive.”

“He’s moving and the Arsenal back four I think naivety plays a part the way they’ve let him run slides straight through the middle of that,” he added.

Arsenal’s dream of a Champions League upset against Bayern Munich turned sour on Tuesday night, as a first-half lead crumbled due to defensive lapses.

Despite a bright start with Bukayo Saka firing them ahead, the Gunners were pegged back by a controversial penalty awarded to Bayern.

Arsenal raced out of the gates, with the young English winger Saka putting them in front early on. The Emirates Stadium buzzed with hope as the Gunners looked to replicate their recent Premier League form against the European giants.

However, Bayern’s experience and individual quality soon came to the fore. Manuel Neuer, defying his goalkeeper role, initiated the attack with a clever run and pass, sending Leroy Sane racing down the flank.

Sane was challenged by William Saliba inside the box, leaving the referee with a tough decision.

Despite a valiant effort, Arsenal couldn’t reclaim the lead. The final whistle blew with the score locked at 2-2, leaving both teams with work to do in the second leg.

While the Gunners can take positives from their attacking performance, they’ll need to tighten up defensively if they want to progress in the competition.