In a historic 200th Champions League match for Arsenal, the Premier League leaders embark on their quest to reach a coveted third-ever semi-final as they host German giants Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
While the Gunners’ historical record against the Bavarian outfit is not favourable, much has changed since their last encounter seven years ago.
Bayern’s decade-long dominance in the Bundesliga is coming to an end, as they trail unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen by 16 points with just six games remaining. Meanwhile, Arsenal sits atop the Premier League, having won nine of their last 10 matches and remaining unbeaten at home in the Champions League this season.
“We have prepared very well, and we have to take our game where we want it, and if we do that, we have a chance to win,” said Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta. “We haven’t had this opportunity for 15 years, so that tells you how special this night is going to be for us, so we’re going to have to put everything into every ball to make it happen.”
Adding to Bayern’s woes, their supporters have been banned by UEFA for the use of pyrotechnics in their last-16 clash against Lazio, ensuring the Emirates will be a sea of red, filled with Gooners hoping to roar their side into a strong position ahead of the second leg in Bavaria eight days later.
“We’re a little behind. We know about their strengths, how we want to hurt them,” admitted Bayern’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, whose team could go trophyless for the first time since 2012 unless they go all the way in the Champions League.
While Bayern boasts an array of attacking talent, including the prolific Harry Kane, their defensive vulnerability has been exposed, shipping seven goals from counter-attacks in domestic competition. Arsenal, on the other hand, have yet to concede a goal at home in the Champions League this campaign.
“They’re currently the best team in the Premier League, all statistics prove that. They’re in fantastic form. They’re also the best team in Europe from set pieces,” Tuchel acknowledged.
Still backing the ability of his Bayern side, Tuchel added, “We have more experience in the Champions League. It’s different in the Champions League compared to the Premier League. We want to use that to our advantage.
“We’ve been rightly criticised after our performances in the cup and the league. We accept that. The consistency in our performances wasn’t what we expect from ourselves.”
