Arsenal handed Bayern Munich their first defeat of the season on Wednesday, climbing to the top of their Champions League group with a commanding 3-1 victory to remain the only team with maximum points.
The Gunners struck in trademark fashion when Jurrien Timber powered home a header from a corner in the 22nd minute.
Bayern responded 10 minutes later as teenager Lennart Karl finished a superb team move to level the score, becoming the first player to score against Arsenal in the competition this season.
But Arsenal regained control in the second half.
Noni Madueke’s effort at the far post in the 70th minute and substitute Gabriel Martinelli’s strike seven minutes later ended Bayern’s 18-game unbeaten run, which included 17 wins.
Arsenal now lead the group after five matchdays, three points ahead of Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern and Real Madrid. Five other clubs sit two points behind, including Atalanta and Sporting, who each claimed 3-0 victories at Eintracht Frankfurt and Club Brugge, respectively.
The top eight teams go straight into the last 16, while teams finishing ninth through 24th enter the playoff round.
Arsenal underlined their credentials with the prestigious win against Bayern, whose star striker Harry Kane suffered another painful defeat at the Emirates after several similar experiences during his Spurs days.
Bayern enjoyed early possession, but Arsenal pounced again on a set piece when Timber’s glancing header from a corner sailed over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into the far corner of the crowded goalmouth.
The Bundesliga leaders responded in style when former Arsenal player Serge Gnabry volleyed a long ball from Joshua Kimmich into the path of 17-year-old Karl, who became the first player to beat David Raya in the competition this season.
But Arsenal dominated after the break.
Neuer saved efforts from Bukayo Saka and Madueke, while a header from Mikel Merino went inches wide. Madueke eventually tapped in Califiori’s cross from the left at the far post in the 70th minute.
It was all over seven minutes later when Martinelli capitalized on Neuer being stranded outside the penalty area to score into an empty net, leaving the Gunners brimming with confidence ahead of their Premier League trip to Chelsea on Sunday.
"I thought tonight we were outstanding. The manager is so happy. It was a special European night,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice told TNT Sports. "We are just taking it one game at a time. There is a hunger and desire to win every game. There is a long way to go – let’s not get carried away.”
Gnabry told DAZN: "You have to accept defeat sometimes. Arsenal are a very strong team, very dominant. We didn’t do so well going forward in the second half. We’ve had a great run, so I don’t think we need to let anything slip or work on anything.”
Tottenham were crushed 4-1 by Arsenal last weekend in the North London derby and were unable to bounce back at PSG despite leading twice through Richarlison and Randall Kolo Muani at Parc des Princes.
Vitinha leveled twice in stylish fashion, while Fabian Ruiz and Willian Pacho also scored as PSG roared from 2-1 down to 4-2. Kolo Muani scored again against his parent club, but Vitinha’s penalty made it 5-3 before Lucas Hernandez was sent off in stoppage time.
Liverpool suffered their ninth defeat in 12 matches against PSV Eindhoven, following a 3-0 weekend loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield, intensifying pressure on manager Arne Slot.
Veteran Ivan Perisic gave PSV an early lead from a penalty after a Virgil van Dijk handball. Dominik Szoboszlai leveled in the 16th minute, and van Dijk headed against the crossbar in the 32nd. But the goals fell on the other side after the break, from Guus Til’s flick in the 55th minute and a Couhaib Driouech brace in the 73rd and stoppage time.
"The emotions are very negative and disappointing,” Slot said. "The mentality after going 1-0 down was as we wanted it to be, but it’s not always so easy after so many disappointments.”
Record winners Real Madrid ended all upset hopes in Piraeus after Chiquinho gave the hosts an early lead. Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick between the 22nd and 29th minutes and added a fourth in the 59th following Vinicius Jr.’s assist, after Mehdi Taremi had equalized for Olympiacos.
However, Real became sloppy at the back and had to hold on late after Ayoub El Kaabi’s 81st-minute header.
Elsewhere, Copenhagen earned their first victory of the group stage, beating Kairat Almaty 3-2, while Monaco were held 2-2 by Pafos.
Brazilian veteran David Luiz, 38, who lifted the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, scored a header for Pafos – his first goal in the competition since 2017.