THE FUSE

The post, which quickly went viral, was a brutal and brilliant troll aimed directly at Bayern's star striker, Kane. It featured an image of a fake text message exchange. One message read: "what time are you coming?". The implication was simple: Harry Kane had 'not shown up' for the match. The meme played on a popular cultural reference and, in just a few words, encapsulated the striker's frustrating night at the Allianz Arena where he failed to score despite taking five shots. The post, predictably, erupted in a mixture of laughter and commiseration for the England captain.

The meme landed perfectly because it was a rare mis-step in what has otherwise been a magnificent season for Kane. The striker's in sensational form, silencing any early doubters following his move from Tottenham. He has already netted an incredible 21 goals in just 18 Bundesliga games, in all competitions that tally stands at 34. His performances have made him the fastest player in Bundesliga history to reach 100 goal contributions (goals and assists combined) in record time. And he is out in front for the European Golden Shoe, ahead of top competitors like Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.

The meme resonated widely across social media due to the cruelly persistent narrative of Kane's "trophy curse." He left Tottenham in pursuit of silverware, but his first season at Bayern in 2023/24 season ended without a major trophy. The team suffered an embarrassing German Cup exit to third-tier FC Saarbrucken and narrowly missed out on the league title for the first time in years. Rival fans, particularly those from Arsenal, gleefully jumped on his setbacks. The "not showing up" meme was the perfect ammunition, a simple, witty jab that suggested Kane had a tendency to be absent when his team needed him most.

Kane was joined on TV last week by former Spurs team-mate Toby Alderweireld, who joked about his reputation as being a "one-season wonder". The pair spent six years together in north London between 2015 and 2021. Kane said: "How are you, Toby? We haven't spoken in a while, but I hope you and your family are doing well. Let's see each other soon." Alderweireld replied: "We've shared so many wonderful moments together. When I hear my former Tottenham team-mate, it's always special. In the 2014-15 season, when I was still playing for Southampton for a year, Kane was called a 'one-season wonder'. From then on, he's scored at least 30 penalties every season! He's a fantastic person, but also a true winner. After every training session, he'd take at least 15 penalties. From now on, that'll be 16, right? Because he missed one!"

FC Bayern München v R. Union Saint-Gilloise - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7

Vincent Kompany's side must quickly refocus. Their next fixture is a Champions League league-phase clash away at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, looking to secure top-eight placement. They then return to league action with a trip to face Hamburger on Saturday, aiming to maintain their healthy lead at the top of the table.