Eze matches Henry feat with earliest sub goal since 2005 in Munich draw
Arsenal came away from the Allianz Arena with a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich, and it was a substitute who produced the night's standout moment. Eberechi Eze scored a Champions League record that had stood since Thierry Henry's era.
The evening started badly for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka was forced off inside the first 10 minutes, appearing to point to his left quad while speaking to Mikel Arteta on his way down the tunnel. Bayern then went ahead through Alphonso Davies before Harry Kane added a penalty, though Declan Rice levelled with his first goal of the season to secure a point.
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Eze delivers after criticism
Eze's introduction for Saka proved decisive. He had faced scrutiny after being substituted at half time against Nottingham Forest, with former Chelsea and England midfielder Joe Cole saying he simply needs to “do more” when given his chance.
In the 25th minute, Martin Odegaard picked him out with a pass to the left flank. Eze cut inside and fired a powerful left footed finish past Manuel Neuer into the bottom corner. The assistant's flag went up initially, but a VAR check confirmed Josip Stanisic had played him onside.
According to Opta Analyst, it was the earliest goal by an Arsenal substitute in a Champions League match since Thierry Henry's strike against Sparta Prague in October 2005. That also makes Eze the first Arsenal substitute to score a first half goal in the competition since that night, when Henry came off the bench and scored twice to overtake Ian Wright as the club's all time record goalscorer.
A season of impact from the bench
Eze's goal was Arsenal's fifth from a substitute this season. Bruno Guimaraes has come off the bench to score winners against Sunderland and Leeds, while Noni Madueke did the same at Forest on Sunday.
With Saka's withdrawal raising concerns over his fitness, Eze's performance in Munich gives Arteta a genuine selection option heading into the Premier League trip to Everton. After a difficult few days following the Forest match, Eze has put himself firmly back into contention for a run in the side.
