'What mistake?!' - Vincent Kompany has 'different opinion' on Manuel Neuer blunders as Bayern Munich boss addresses Arsenal defeat

Bayern's 18 game unbeaten streak came to a halt at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal exposed defensive gaps and capitalised on rare errors from Neuer. Jurrien Timber opened the scoring after the Bayern captain appeared blocked during a crowded corner sequence, and although Lennart Karl equalised, the Premier League leaders took control after the break.

Noni Madueke restored Arsenal’s advantage before Gabriel Martinelli sealed the result with a calm finish past Neuer, who had rushed high off his line in an attempt to intervene. The moment triggered widespread debate in Germany, with pundits and fans questioning whether the 39-year-old should have approached the situation differently. That criticism quickly became the centre of Bayern’s media briefing setting up Kompany to deliver a firm defence of his goalkeeper.

Speaking ahead of the Bavarians' Bundesliga clash with St. Pauli, Kompany made it clear he would not entertain talk of a goalkeeping controversy, starting with a blunt dismissal of the claims. "Mistake, what mistake?," the Belgian said. "No. If you call that a mistake, then I have a different opinion."

He then repeated his view, specifically addressing the Gunners' third goal: "What are you supposed to do as a goalkeeper? Either wait and then it's one-on-one, or you defend the space and try to help your teammate who's playing against a faster player. I have a different opinion on that."

The Bayern coach also addressed the earlier corner incident and stressed that even if errors do happen, Neuer’s pedigree remains unquestioned. "Sure, mistakes can happen, he's made them before and will make them in the future. But he's an outstanding goalkeeper. This is the first I've heard of it, so I'm a bit surprised."

Turning to the match as a whole, Kompany emphasised Bayern’s strong opening hour but admitted the final stretch was below standard: "The analysis is always clearer once you've rewatched the game. After a match like that, it's straight on to the next one. But of course, we have to learn from it. We were solid for the first hour and played on equal terms away in London. However, the last half hour wasn't up to our standard, and Arsenal deserved to win. Now we're seeing which players are ready… we're just looking at minor details."

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While Kompany defended him, Neuer himself offered a more detailed breakdown of what happened during the crucial third goal, acknowledging the risk involved in his aggressive approach. "When you're behind, you simply have to take a bit more risk, and in that situation, the pass was initially good because it wasn't really going in deep. I could already see that Martinelli was running against [Joshua Kimmich] and was also a bit faster than Jo. I knew then that it would lead to a one-on-one situation and a great chance. I tried to clear it beforehand, and he took him down well. The touch was simply crucial, and then I couldn't reach it anymore, although I knew I was taking a big risk."

Not everyone agreed with his decision. Former Die Roten and Germany midfielder Michael Ballack delivered a sharper assessment of the moment: “That wasn't necessary. Manuel made the wrong decision there. If he goes for the ball, he has to get it, he knows that himself. He decided to take the risk, and is being punished for it.”

The contrasting views reflect a growing debate about Neuer’s form, especially as Bayern navigate a demanding season and weigh long-term choices around the goalkeeper position, though Kompany remains adamant that discussion is closed.

Attention now shifts back to domestic action, with the Bavarians preparing for a potentially tricky meeting against St. Pauli. Despite their opponents’ run of eight straight defeats, Kompany warned that complacency cannot be allowed to creep in.

"The most important thing is that we don't differentiate between St. Pauli and Arsenal in our preparations," he said. "When we look at them, we see that they're doing well and what they're capable of. We've played them twice, and against the same coach, and both matches were difficult. We deserved to win, but we fought hard. Even if they've lost eight times, maybe a game against Bayern will be different for them."

All eyes now turn to Saturday, where Bayern will aim to rebound quickly, steady their form, and avoid further questions ahead of their next Champions League assignment.