Declan Rice rescues Arsenal for 2-2 draw at Bayern, ending 14-game Champions League winning streak

Declan Rice showed up exactly when Arsenal needed him most. Eight minutes from time, the English midfielder fired a low right-footed shot past Manuel Neuer to give the Gunners a draw that felt almost like a win: a 2-2 result against Bayern Munich in a Champions League thriller at the Allianz Arena.

Rice's goal didn't just salvage a point in what was Arsenal's toughest test since losing last season's final to PSG on penalties. It also extended Mikel Arteta's side's unbeaten start to this season's competition, following earlier wins over Napoli and Lille.

Still, the draw came at a cost in the record books: it snapped Arsenal's run of 14 consecutive wins in the Champions League league phase, the second longest in the competition's history, behind only Bayern itself.

Kane came within inches of a heroic turn

Harry Kane came agonizingly close to stealing the show. The Tottenham legend scored his 16th goal in 23 games against Arsenal by converting a penalty in the 61st minute, awarded after Jurrien Timber handled the ball inside the box. Earlier, he'd already made his mark with a sublime assist that let Alphonso Davies level the score after Eberechi Eze's opener.

The English striker, who is also a strong contender for the Ballon d'Or to be awarded next Monday, spent much of the match dropping deep to collect the ball, and it was from there that he set up Bayern's second goal with a threaded pass from the center circle that sent Davies through one-on-one to beat David Raya.

The match began with Arsenal controlling the pace, though an early blow struck: Bukayo Saka had to be withdrawn injured in the 10th minute, with Eze coming on in his place. The loss was felt, though Bayern wasn't at full strength either: without the suspended Michael Olise, with Jamal Musiala injured and Luis Díaz starting only on the bench, Vincent Kompany's attack lost much of its usual bite.

Riccardo Calafiori went close with a header from a Martin Ødegaard corner, and Bayern responded almost immediately with an odd counterattack: a quickly taken goal kick from Kane ended with Raya saving a shot from a completely unmarked Serge Gnabry.

Arsenal kept pressing and broke the deadlock in the 25th minute: a gorgeous ball from Ødegaard over the defense sent Eze through one-on-one, and the former Crystal Palace man finished with his left foot into the corner. The flag went up for offside, but VAR overturned the call, confirming the goal to the delight of more than 3,800 traveling fans celebrating high up in the stadium.

Arsenal's lead lasted barely ten minutes, as the Kane-to-Davies combination produced the equalizer to make it 1-1.

The second half brought big saves from both goalkeepers: Neuer tipped a Bruno Guimarães header onto the crossbar from a Rice corner, and Raya responded shortly after by denying Dayot Upamecano. Bayern went ahead through Kane's penalty in the 61st minute, awarded for another Timber handball, this time on a shot that struck his arm. Konrad Laimer nearly extended the lead with an effort that went just wide.

But Arsenal refused to give in, and Rice popped up with the equalizer off a pass from Viktor Gyökeres, curling a left-footed shot into the corner that gave Neuer no chance. There was even time for one last attempt from Timber, which Neuer managed to tip out for a corner, closing out a thrilling match that finished 2-2 in Munich.