Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich: Winners and Losers from Champions League Game

Arsenal jump-started their European campaign with a 2-0 victory over visiting Bayern Munich on Tuesday night in Group F of the UEFA Champions League.

The hosts had lost both of their first two matches in Europe's top club competition, but second-half goals from Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil were enough to give Arsenal victory. Bayern entered the match in blistering form, winning 12 straight matches in all competitions, but the Bundesliga side could not turn their dominance of possession into goals.

According to Opta Franz, Tuesday marked the first time Bayern had failed to score a goal in a game in any competition this season.

The result leaves Arsenal level on three points with Dinamo Zagreb. Bayern, who have six points, are now tied for the group lead with Olympiakos.

"It was a game of top quality. We played with disciplined intensity. Both keepers made great saves," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, via BBC Sport. "Petr Cech was a key figure. He was intelligent; everything is classy. There were two world-class goalkeepers out there tonight."

Here, B/R selects winners and losers from the match.

Winner: Arsene Wenger and Arsenal

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Manager Arsene Wenger has endured his share of criticism this season for Arsenal's performances in the Champions League. On Tuesday night, however, he got his tactics right and positioned his side perfectly for victory.

The criticism has been deserved. Wenger's decision to play David Ospina over Petr Cech in the first two group games backfired. In addition, the Frenchman seemed to select his teams for those two games with other matches in mind, resting key players against supposedly lesser opponents.

But if Wenger deserved a hiding for his performance against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos, he deserves credit for how Arsenal played against Bayern. In short, Arsenal beat Bayern by playing the way most other teams have to play against Arsenal. The Gunners defended resolutely and countered effectively, maximizing their chances on counters and set pieces.

The plan worked brilliantly this time, and because of that Arsenal now have a chance to make it out of the group.

"A shame Arsenal only showed up now—brilliant on their day," tweeted Clark Whitney. "Still a glimmer of hope they can qualify for the knockout rounds, but zero room for error."

With Olympiakos beating Dinamo 1-0 on Tuesday, Arsenal know they will have to collect as many points as possible to qualify. Up next is a trip to Bayern in November, and the Gunners realistically need to take a point from that game to keep their hopes alive.

After that, Arsenal must hope to beat Olympiakos and Dinamo on the final two matchdays. 

Winner and Loser: Manuel Neuer

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Tuesday brought the best and worst out of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Thus, he's both a winner and loser here.

In the first half, the German international made a world-class save to keep out a Theo Walcott header from the edge of the six-yard box. Walcott ought to have placed his header more toward the corner, but that shouldn't detract at all from Neuer's accomplishment. In making the save, the 29-year-old showed impeccable instincts, lightning-fast reflexes and superb hand strength.

But in the second half, Neuer was at fault for Arsenal's opening goal. Racing off his line to catch a free-kick lofted into his box, Neuer instead flapped at the ball and gave the hosts a big chance. The ball fell to substitute Olivier Giroud, who redirected it into the net with what appeared to be his nose.

Without Neuer's mistake, the goal never would have happened. And yet it's hard to imagine many other goalkeepers making the save that Neuer pulled off against Walcott in the first half.

Winner: Petr Cech

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It's not that Petr Cech was brilliant in goal for Arsenal. The veteran Czech Republic international played well, providing his side with a steady presence between the sticks. He was solid if unspectacular, but that's exactly what Arsenal needed.

Such a performance really makes you wonder why Arsene Wenger risked playing backup stopper David Ospina in Arsenal's first two Champions League games. Cech is so superior that it seems like madness to take the chance in any meaningful match.

Ospina missed this game through injury, but it's hard to see Wenger restoring the Colombian to the starting XI anytime soon.

Winner: Olivier Giroud

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Tuesday marked the third straight match in which Olivier Giroud has scored. The French international scored twice for his country in a 2-1 friendly victory over Denmark during the international break and added a goal in Arsenal's 3-0 win at Watford over the weekend.

The latter came in a substitute's appearance, as did Tuesday's somewhat fortuitous strike. But while Giroud did not know much about the goal, his strong, physical presence did give Arsenal another option during the final 20-or-so minutes of the match. Most importantly, though, he found the back of the net, which is all a striker cares about in the end.

This mini-run of scoring will have helped restore Giroud's confidence following a barren period. And although Theo Walcott appears established as Arsene Wenger's top-choice center-forward at the moment, Giroud is proving a valuable threat off the bench.

Winners: Mesut Ozil and Hector Bellerin

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Hector Bellerin and Mesut Ozil combined beautifully to score Arsenal's crucial second goal in stoppage time. The strike sealed the win for the Gunners and capped off strong individual displays for both players.

Bellerin, who was a spark all night going forward, stole a pass in Bayern's half and quickly raced to the byline on the right. From there, he pulled back a perfect pass to Ozil, who fired in from close range. Manuel Neuer appeared to save the shot, but replays showed that the ball had crossed the line.

"Ozil was so selfless tonight," tweeted @ArsenalColumn. "[He] was far better defensively when shunted towards the left-hand side to cover for Alexis in a slanted 4-4-2."

Loser: Alexis Sanchez

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This was a brilliant result for Arsenal, but it was not a great night for Alexis Sanchez.

That might be a somewhat harsh assessment of the Chilean, but Sanchez simply wasn't at his best. On at least two occasions, Alexis was guilty of poor giveaways that led directly to chances for Bayern. The visitors weren't able to convert either opportunity, but one or both could have easily turned into goals.

One possible explanation for Sanchez's drop in form comes from the recent international break. Following Arsenal's 3-0 win over Manchester United on Oct. 4, Sanchez flew to South America to join Chile for international duty. He then played matches against Brazil (home) and Peru (away) before flying back across the Atlantic to rejoin Arsenal. 

From there, he traveled with the Gunners to play at Watford on Saturday before facing Bayern on Tuesday. 

Considering that schedule, it's no wonder Sanchez didn't have his best night. Only a machine could play so many games after covering so many miles in so short a time.