Tomiyasu unable to stop Arsenal’s Champions League exit
Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu returned to the Arsenal
starting lineup following an injury layoff but could not prevent the English
side’s Champions League quarterfinal exit as Bayern Munich claimed a 3-2 aggregate
victory with their 1-0 win in Wednesday’s second leg.
Manager Mikel Arteta opted for Tomiyasu on the left of his
four-man defence, and the 25-year-old kept Bayern winger Leroy Sane quiet at
Allianz Arena, but Joshua Kimmich’s 63rd-minute header gave the German
giants the decisive goal. Tomiyasu was hurt in early February while playing
for Japan at the Asian Cup and had been limited to four substitute appearances
in the Premier League since making his return at the end of March.
He was left on the bench when Arsenal drew 2-2 at home
in the first leg
against Bayern on 9 April. Arsenal were playing in this stage of the
competition for the first time in 14 seasons.
A “sad
and disappointed” Arteta said Arsenal’s defensive lapses in the opening leg
put them in a difficult position. “It was a tie of very small margins — in the
first leg, we conceded two very poor goals, and that has a big effect in the
tie,” he said. — Kyodo
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