Defenders play exceptionally, but attackers struggle to find the final ball…
Arsenal player ratings:
21 Lukas Fabianski – 9
Top performance from the Polish understudy. Starting the game because Szczesny was suspended, Fabianski distributed the ball excellently, made a number of good saves (catching the ball at every opportunity instead of parrying it) and he even stopped a penalty at the end.
03 Bacary Sagna – 6
Rarely ventured beyond the halfway line, and he was regularly pinned deep by Ribery. Won most of the battles with the Frenchman, but got bamboozled by him for Bayern’s goal.
05 Thomas Vermaelen – 8
Performing in an unnatural left-back role, the Belgian was superb. He was brave, making tackles and headers, and he was a fair match for the brilliant Arjen Robben.
04 Per Mertesacker – 8
The German was heroic at the back, winning virtually every header, and marshalling a deep but effective defensive line.
06 Laurent Koscielny – 7
Gave a penalty away late on, which was unfortunate, because it blighted a brave performance. Made countless blocks, and kept Mandzukic quiet all night.
