Serge Gnabry's 4 Goals Lead Bayern Munich over Tottenham in UCL Group Stage

Bayern Munich remain top of Group B following a sensational 7-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry scored for Bayern to extend their unbeaten streak to nine matches across all competitions. Gnabry finished with four of the goals in the comprehensive victory.

The defeat leaves Tottenham with one point through two matchdays, and overtaking Bayern for first place will be difficult between now and the end of the group stage.

Gnabry broke the game open in the second half with a pair of goals to put Bayern ahead 4-1.

Gnabry 2 Goals

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There was an obvious irony to Gnabry's offensive explosion. He struggled to break through at Arsenal and was loaned to West Brom for the 2015-16 season, making one league appearance for the club.

A move to Germany has done wonders for the 24-year-old and there he was Tuesday night, putting Arsenal's biggest rival to the sword in the Champions League.

Many wonder whether Tottenham are beginning to stagnate under Mauricio Pochettino. They're sixth in the Premier League table with 11 points through seven matches, and they threw away a 2-0 lead against Olympiacos in their last Champions League fixture.

Following that 2-2 draw, Pochettino stressed his players' "need to match the opponent in aggressivity, excitement, motivation."

This result will provide ammunition to those who argue Spurs either need to move on from Pochettino or significantly reshuffle their squad.

Tottenham couldn't have asked for a much better start when Son Heung-Min put the home team 1-0 up in the 12th minute. Corentin Tolisso was looking for a foul in the buildup to the goal, but the referee waved play on and Son tucked his finish into the far post.

Spurs supporters still likely felt a bit uneasy after the draws with Olympiacos and Arsenal—where Tottenham also led by two goals—last month; they probably didn't expect Bayern to hit back so quickly, though.

Kimmich struck a perfect curling effort past a diving Hugo Lloris in the 15th minute.

Lewandowski gave Bayern the lead in the 45th minute with the kind of goal fans have expected of the 31-year-old striker. With his back to goal, he turned and sent a shot into the bottom right corner.

Harry Kane converted from the penalty spot in the 61st minute to give Tottenham the slimmest hope of a comeback. Manuel Neuer then saved a shot from Christian Eriksen in the 66th minute that would've made it 4-3.

Spurs' momentum quickly fizzled after that.

The result was already decided when Lewandowski and Gnabry combined to score three more goals in the final seven minutes of regular time.

Bayern clearly wanted to make a statement as they pursue their first European title since 2013. The German champions entered the tournament as one of the few clubs with a realistic shot at going all the way, and their odds are looking even better after Tuesday.

For Tottenham, keeping the result in perspective is important. Their goal differential is a complete mess at the moment, but they remain the second-best team in the group and should still qualify.

More importantly, Pochettino has to impress upon his players they can't let this loss linger into the Premier League campaign. Getting a win against Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend will help everybody start to move on. 

Having said that, if the 2019-20 season goes off the rails completely, Tuesday night may be looked upon as the beginning of the end for Tottenham's current cycle.

What's Next?

Bayern host Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday and resume Champions League duty away to Olympiacos on Oct. 22. Tottenham travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday in the Premier League. They return to Europe in three weeks against Red Star Belgrade.