Luis Díaz and Arsenal, a Rivalry That Keeps Repeating: Now He Faces Them With Bayern

Some opponents just seem to suit certain players, and for Luis Díaz, that opponent appears to be Arsenal. This Wednesday, the Colombian will have another date with the Gunners, but this time the setting is completely different: it won't be at Anfield or the Emirates, but at the Allianz Arena, wearing the Bayern Munich jersey in matchday three of the Champions League league phase.

The freshest chapter between Díaz and Arsenal is still remembered fondly in Liverpool. It was May 11, 2025, at an Anfield that was already celebrating the Premier League title under Arne Slot. That afternoon Liverpool came out firing, and within just twenty minutes they were already up 2-0: Cody Gakpo opened the scoring, and shortly after, the Colombian winger showed up to extend the lead by converting a rebound off a Dominik Szoboszlai shot.

What made it even more striking was that minutes earlier, David Raya had denied him a clear-cut chance. This time there was nothing the Spanish goalkeeper could do, and Díaz celebrated a goal that also marked his 13th goal of that Premier League campaign. Arsenal responded in the second half: Gabriel Martinelli pulled one back right at the start of the second period, and Mikel Merino made it 2-2 in the 70th minute, before being sent off late in the match. That's how the score stayed, but the memory of Díaz's goal remained etched as the capstone of one of his best goal scoring seasons in England.

A History That Started Earlier

That wasn't his first blow against Arsenal. Back in January 2024, during the FA Cup, Díaz had scored at the Emirates Stadium in a 2-0 win, sealing the match in stoppage time off an assist from Diogo Jota. That goal, in the middle of a knockout tie, already made it clear that the Colombian knows how to show up when the match demands it most.

With Bayern, though, the reunion had to wait. Back in November 2025, the two clubs already met in the Champions League, but Díaz missed that game due to suspension following his red card against PSG. That day, Bayern fell 3-1 in London without their Colombian winger on the field. So this Wednesday will, in practice, be his true debut against Arsenal in Bavarian colors.

Riding a Hot Streak

And what a streak it is. Last Saturday, Díaz scored a hat trick and added an assist in a 6-1 rout of RB Leipzig, a result that put Bayern back atop the Bundesliga. In the Champions League, Vincent Kompany's side is coming off a 3-3 draw against Norway's Viking, so the match against Arsenal shapes up as another test for a Bayern side still looking to find its footing in the league phase.

The match kicks off this Wednesday, October 21, at 2:00 p.m. Colombia time, at the Allianz Arena, broadcast on Disney+ Plan Premium. The question hanging in the air is inevitable: will Díaz score against an Arsenal side that already knows his name all too well?