Sports
Are Arsenal the best in Europe? Bayern win boosts Champions League contender tag
LONDON — Arsenal hammered out a warning to Europe’s top teams by extending their perfect start to the UEFA Champions League‘s league phase with a 3-1 win against Bayern Munich, which confirms their status as favorites to win the competition.
Goals by Jurriën Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli sent Bayern crashing to their first defeat in all competitions this season and sent the Gunners three points clear of the chasing pack at the top of the table.
Lennart Karl‘s first-half equalizer had given Bayern hope of maintaining their unbeaten record, but Arsenal proved too strong in the second half, and Mikel Arteta’s substitutes — Madueke and Martinelli both coming off the bench — made match-winning contributions.
In a fiery game, both Arteta and Bayern coach Vincent Kompany were yellow-carded for touchline protests, but it was Arsenal who held their nerve to claim a significant victory. — Mark Ogden
– Champions League recap: Arsenal-Bayern, PSG-Tottenham
– Why Kompany is well placed to succeed Guardiola at Man City
– Eze haunts Spurs as Arsenal make statement of title intent
Arsenal win the battle of perfection
Both sides went into this game with perfect Champions League records this season, but it is Arsenal who end Wednesday with theirs intact after a powerful second-half display at Emirates Stadium.
They had to work hard for this. After a slow start, Bayern gradually began to control the opening 45 minutes, restricting Arsenal to just 37.4% possession. That was Arsenal’s lowest first-half figure since losing to Liverpool in January 2022. Arteta has spoken about trying to appear calmer on the touchline, but there was little evidence of that here as Bayern posed a major test to his in-form side.
Yet they found the second-half solutions to wrestle back the advantage and secure another win, which promotes their Champions League credentials.
Top of the league at home and in Europe, the Gunners are right where they want to be. Win at Chelsea on Sunday and they will come through their toughest week of the season yet looking unstoppable. — James Olley
Kane’s no-show becomes worry for Bayern
Harry Kane had an off night for Bayern at the Emirates and that will have stung the England captain pretty badly, considering his connection to Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal’s bitter North London rivals.
The 32-year-old struggled against Arsenal’s robust center backs William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera and his lack of impact up front might explain why he spent so much time dropping deep to go in search of the ball.
There can be no doubt that Kane is enjoying a remarkable season for Bayern, with 24 goals in 18 games before this Champions League clash. But in Bayern’s biggest, or certainly toughest, games of the season, he has failed to score, blanking against Paris Saint-Germain and now Arsenal.
So is Kane still one of the world’s most fearsome strikers, or is he beginning to fall short against the best teams and defenders? That’s a question that will nag at Bayern as they look ahead to the second half of the season and the knockout stages, where they will have to overcome the best teams in Europe to win the Champions League.
Bayern need Kane scoring in the biggest games, so he has to sharpen up against the top sides. — Ogden
Tough night for Lewis-Skelly
Arsenal made only two changes to the lineup that thrashed Tottenham 4-1 on Sunday, with one of those Myles Lewis-Skelly‘s introduction at left back for Riccardo Calafiori. It didn’t work. Lewis-Skelly was repeatedly targeted by Bayern, and the brilliant diagonal ball for Karl’s equalizing goal took advantage of poor positioning from the 19-year-old, allowing Serge Gnabry to drift in behind him.
Karl and then Michael Olise beat Lewis-Skelly far too easily midway through the second half, and Arteta reacted by substituting him moments later. To make matters worse for Lewis-Skelly, Calafiori had a positive impact seconds after coming on, powering down the left to cross for Madueke’s winning goal.
All of this took place in front of England manager Thomas Tuchel, watching in the stands just a few weeks after dropping Lewis-Skelly from his squad amid a lack of game time. The teenager is a fine talent, but a response is required. — Olley
Timber and Rice show their worth
It was noticeable that while Arteta was willing to alter his defense, he kept Timber in the lineup despite Ben White sitting patiently as his highly experienced replacement.
Jurriën Timber is undoubtedly an excellent defender, but with Gabriel Magalhães sidelined through injury, the Dutchman’s ability from set pieces is even more important to the cause. Arsenal’s opening goal was a reminder, with Timber making that familiar run from far post to near and glancing a finish past Manuel Neuer. Bayern boss Kompany wanted a foul, but the truth is Neuer wasn’t strong enough.
A key reason Arsenal turned the second half in their favor was Declan Rice‘s all-action midfield display. He helped drive Arsenal forward and, aided by two substitutes scoring — or “finishers” as Arteta calls them — Bayern were overpowered. Nobody had more touches of the ball for Arsenal than Rice’s 66, and only Saliba had more defensive interventions for the home side. — Olley
These two giants will only get stronger in the competition
Arsenal and Bayern will be among the favorites to win the Champions League final in Budapest next May because they have dominated the league stage so far.
And the bad news for the other clubs vying to win it is that both sides will only get stronger in the second half of the campaign. Arsenal have been without Kai Havertz for much of the season, and Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel are also sidelined right now with injuries.
But all three should be back and ready to have an impact when the knockout stages begin, and the same applies to Bayern’s missing players. Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala are due back soon following long-term injuries, while the suspended Luis Díaz will also return for the key knockout games.
So if you want to back a team to win the Champions League, don’t look beyond Arsenal and Bayern. — Ogden
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Trey Perry scored on a driving layup with a second remaining, and No. 21 Miami of Ohio rallied to beat Western Michigan 69-67 on Friday night to extend its season-opening winning streak to 29 games.
The RedHawks (16-0 Mid-American Conference) remain the only undefeated team in Division I men’s basketball. Miami extended the best start in program history and added to its school record for wins in a season. Miami also boasts the best start and longest win streak in MAC annals.
Miami is also just the fourth Division I team in the past 20 years to enter March unbeaten, according to ESPN Research. The previous three (2013-14 Wichita State, 2014-15 Kentucky and 2020-21 Gonzaga) all remained unbeaten heading into the NCAA tournament.
Peter Suder scored 18 points for the RedHawks before fouling out with just over seven minutes remaining. Almar Atlason added 16 points, Perry finished with 14 and Eian Elmer 10.
Jayden Brewer led Western Michigan (10-19, 4-12) with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Justice Williams and EJ Ryans each added 14 points.
Miami is used to playing close games and won for the seventh time this season by fewer than six points.
“Our grouip is unflappabe,” Miami coach Travis Steele said. “It’s calm, cool and collected. It’s very, very even the entire time, even during tight moments.”
The RedHawks trailed 30-26 at the half and fell behind by eight points twice early in the second half before tying the score at 49-49 with 11:02 remaining.
Western Michigan ran off eight straight points for a 57-49 advantage with 8:40 remaining and led 59-50 with 6:38 left before Miami chipped away and moved ahead 66-65 on a layup by Antwone Woolfolk with 14 seconds left.
Elmer’s free throw with 37 seconds remaining gave the RedHawks a 67-65 edge, but Western Michigan tied it with 11 seconds left on a basket by Williams before Perry made the winner.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
KOLKATA: India on Sunday won the toss and opted to bowl first against West Indies in the high-stakes ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights match here at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
Squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh.
West Indies: Shai Hope (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales and Romario Shepherd.
MLS and the Saudi Pro League are both “possible options” for Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah this summer, while Manchester United are eyeing Nottingham Forest defender Murillo. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades
TRENDING RUMORS
– A summer departure for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is appearing “increasingly likely,” according to BBC Sport. The Egypt international signed a new two-year deal last year, but in December hinted that he could leave Liverpool midseason and suggested the club has “thrown him under the bus” as he was repeatedly dropped from the starting XI. Salah remained at Liverpool once the January transfer deadline had passed, and he has started every game since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite that, an exit could be on the cards this summer, with the BBC reporting that the Saudi Pro League and MLS are “possible options” for the 33-year-old. Salah has scored two goals in nine club appearances in 2026.
– Manchester United are showing keen interest in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, according to TEAMtalk. The Red Devils have reportedly scouted the Brazilian “extensively,” making him an option for the summer. A transfer fee upwards of £60m has been quoted following some impressive performances for Forest. He is the third player from the City Ground that United have been linked with, in addition to England midfielders Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White.
– Real Madrid are set to join Liverpool in the battle to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, Mundo Deportivo reports. Los Blancos reportedly have the Germany centre-back down as a top target for the summer, when he enters his final year under contract with Dortmund. Liverpool have been linked with Schlotterbeck, with Ibrahima Konaté approaching the final few months of his contract at Anfield, while Virgil van Dijk‘s deal is due to expire at the end of next season. The Reds have already agreed a deal to sign Jérémy Jacquet from Stade Rennais to help strengthen the defensive department in the summer, but it’s unclear whether Schlotterbeck will join him at this stage.
– Atlético Madrid, Juventus and Newcastle United are all showing interest in signing Darwin Núñez this summer, according to Football Insider. The former Liverpool striker has been left out of Al Hilal‘s Saudi Pro League squad after they registered the signing of Karim Benzema, leading to talk of a possible exit. Atlético are reportedly the most likely to seal a deal out of the clubs named, with Núñez required to take a pay cut if he is to leave Al Hilal.
– AC Milan have added Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson to the top of their transfer wish list of strikers for the summer, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Senegal international is unlikely to remain at Bayern Munich, where he has received just 641 minutes of football so far in his loan spell this season, and will be available on another loan deal with a permanent option included. Milan have made him a target, while they have also shown interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy.
EXPERT TAKE
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OTHER RUMORS
– Liverpool view Real Madrid star Rodrygo as an option to replace Mohamed Salah in the summer, with the Brazil international facing an uncertain future. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are among those also linked (Ekrem Konur)
– Manchester City believe that they are leading the race to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer, ahead of their city rivals Manchester United (TEAMtalk)
– Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are interested in Eintracht Frankfurt defender Nathaniel Brown. (Ekrem Konur)
– Manchester United are concerned about losing Harry Maguire as a free agent in the summer, when his contract expires, at the same time as losing another experienced player in Casemiro. (Daily Mail)
– Juventus are eyeing a possible reunion with Randal Kolo Muani if Tottenham Hotspur do not make his loan move from Paris Saint-Germain permanent. (Tuttosport)
– Sunderland and West Ham United are keen on AC Milan and Mexico striker Santiago Giménez as his future appears uncertain at the Italian club. (AS)
– Manchester City are interested in Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, having previously missed out on landing the defender. (Football Insider)
– A Newcastle scout was in attendance to watch Parma vs. Cagliari in Serie A, keeping tabs on 20-year-old defender Marco Palestra, who is on loan at Cagliari from Atalanta. (Nicolo Schira)
– Jesse Lingard‘s move to Corinthians edges closer to completion, with he two parties agreeing on a one-year deal with an option of another year, subject to a medical (Fabrizio Romano)
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