Kompany rues late Arsenal leveller as Bayern Munich settle for Champions League draw

Vincent Kompany admitted Bayern Munich were frustrated to concede late in their 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Allianz Arena, although he accepted the result may have been fair after both sides enjoyed spells of control.

Bayern created more clear opportunities and felt they had done enough to win the Champions League contest, but Arsenal remained a major threat and finished strongly. The result leaves Kompany balancing disappointment at dropping two points with satisfaction at the chances his side produced against one of Europe’s leading teams.

“We are in a period in which we are playing far too many matches, so we have to move on from this game quickly and focus on the next one,” Kompany told Mondo Deportivo. “We faced a strong opponent, and we felt that and saw it clearly.”

The Bayern manager was particularly disappointed by the team’s loss of momentum towards the end of the match.

“I think we had good spells in the game and created some clear chances that I did not expect us to have in such numbers,” he said. “It is unfortunate that we struggled during the final 10 or 15 minutes, which caused us to lose some momentum.”

He added: “We felt we were capable of winning, and perhaps we deserved to do so, but the opposition were extremely strong and the game was never decided at any point. The equaliser we conceded in the closing stages was unfortunate.”

Kompany said the contest had been largely even, with both teams pressing and attempting to advance into the attacking third. However, he believed Bayern had reached dangerous areas more frequently.

“Arsenal pressed with the same intensity as us, and we were dangerous in those moments,” he said. “We did not always choose the right time to reach the final third, but I think we got there more often than Arsenal and created danger, including two or three situations in which we had a numerical advantage.”

Despite his frustration, Kompany rejected the idea that Bayern had dominated the match from start to finish.

“We faced a top-class opponent, and I would not say either team had complete control because Arsenal also had periods when they were the better side,” he said. “The result may be fair, even though we created more clear chances.”

Harry Kane was named player of the match after scoring one goal and providing the assist for Alphonso Davies. Kompany praised the England striker’s movement and his ability to give Bayern additional attacking options.

“Kane has a special instinct that tells him when to drop back and when to move into other areas of the pitch,” said Kompany. “I think Arsenal did something similar with their forwards today, and that makes the defenders’ task extremely difficult because they cannot track a player who stays in one position.”

He added that Kane’s movement creates time and space for his passing: “When the two centre-backs step forward to press and Harry gets some time on the ball, he can show his great quality with long, accurate passes. That helps us get beyond the defensive line and create dangerous chances.”

Bayern Munich now have 5 points after three rounds of the Champions League. Their next test is against Atletico de Madrid on 3 November.