'Not being themselves in the second half will be the disappointing part'
Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson believes the Gunners faded in the second half of their Champions League quarter-final second leg defeat by Bayern Munich while their opponents showed their European experience.
Joshua Kimmich's fine header sealed the win as Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut chances to fight their way back into the tie.
"Bayern showed real European know-how on how to get the job done," Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "They didn't start the game particularly well. It was a bit edgy - they were not the more confident team.
"Arsenal settled into that first half brilliantly, took control and probably looked the better team on balance at half-time.
"But then, second half, Bayern came out with a completely different attitude - really strong, taking the game to Arsenal. They created chances, hit the post, hit the bar, got that crucial goal and then defensively they looked so sound afterwards."
Bayern were missing key players in Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, and have failed to win the Bundesliga title for the first time in over a decade - but Upson believes Thomas Tuchel's side deserved to progress for their performance after the break.
"Not being themselves in the second half will be the disappointing part of the whole day because, first half, I thought Arsenal were calm, made good choices and showed maturity in their performance," he added.
"In the second half they just couldn't really stamp their authority on the game or get hold of the ball.
"Bayern really showed experience and understanding on how to shut them out. They knew what they needed to do and got the job done. Arsenal couldn't find and answer to that problem and it was a bit lacklustre in that second half.
"Key players were quiet - [Bukayo] Saka wasn't his usual self - and they didn't have that attacking edge.
"Kimmich didn't give [Gabriel] Martinelli a sniff either. There were a lot of really mature performances from Bayern. They deserved it on that second half."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
