Arsenal faces Bayern Munich on Tuesday knowing they need a win to reignite their hopes of emerging from the Champions League group stage.
They could not be facing more intimidating opposition. Bayern have a 100 per cent win record this season and have been in devastating form in all competitions. They have started their Champions League campaign with two convincing wins and seem all but certain to top the group.
Arsenal, by contrast, has already succumbed to defeats in Europe against both Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos. They stand on the brink of their first elimination at this stage since the year 2000. Arsene Wenger will insist his men go down fighting, which means taking the game to Bayern at the Emirates Stadium.
In their previous home game, the Gunners produced a magnificent performance to beat Manchester United 3-0. They will probably have to be even better if they are to conquer this all-conquering Bayern team.
Date: Tuesday, October 20
Time: 7.45 p.m. BST / 2.45 p.m. ET
Location: Emirates Stadium, London
Television coverage: BT Sports Europe / BT Sports Europe HD / BT Sports Ultra HD (The UK only); Fox Sports 2, Fox Deportes (U.S. only)
Streaming: BT Sports app (The UK only), Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only)
Bayern has won all 11 of their matches so far this season, scoring 37 goals in the process. Thus far in the Champions League, they have racked up eight goals without conceding.
Arsenal has been on a decent run, winning four of their last five games, but it’s nothing compared to the incredible momentum the German champions bring into this match.
The Managers
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insisted his team are better equipped to face Bayern Munich than ever before.
The Gunners have been drawn against Bayern in three out of the past four Champions League campaigns, losing both home games but winning and drawing away. Wenger believes Arsenal can get the good result they crave against Pep Guardiola's side this time around, telling the team's official website:
I believe we have played good Bayern sides and got good results against them.
We have the needed belief and confidence that we are doing something right so that helps.
We maybe could be a little suspected of not taking the first two games seriously enough but this time that is not the threat.
Let’s take the positives of our Premier League [form] and as well get the right focus that you get when you play a big opponent.
The focus Wenger alludes to could prove to be a critical factor in deciding the outcome of the game. Bayern boss Guardiola was quoted by BBC Sport as suggesting Arsenal may "have an advantage because they have to win." The Spaniard went on:
When that happens with this kind of players and the history of this club, they are going to make the best performance possible.
I don't expect anything other than a fight for the 90 minutes. I can imagine my team with zero points and play in Germany against Arsenal. I can imagine the mentality of my team—we would be an animal because it is our last chance.
Guardiola will have prepared his side to expect an onslaught from an Arsenal side looking to repair the club's reputation on the continent.
The Gunners welcome back Gabriel Paulista to their squad after he missed the match at Watford with a minor injury.
The most interesting news surrounds their deputy goalkeeper, David Ospina. Ospina started in each of Arsenal's two previous Champions League games, but a shoulder injury picked up on international duty for Colombia means he is not available for selection in this match. That means the No. 1, Petr Cech, will play his first Champions League game for the club.
The likelihood is this team will be identical to the one that started at Vicarage Road on Saturday. Arsenal will need to field their strongest possible XI to stand any chance of beating Bayern.
Despite Olivier Giroud emerging from the substitutes' bench to score against Watford, Wenger is likely to keep faith with the speedy striking style of Theo Walcott that so troubled Manchester United.
Predicted Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Petr Cech; Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal; Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla; Aaron Ramey, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez; Theo Walcott.
Bayern Munich
This match has come too soon for Arjen Robben, who was injured during the Netherlands’ Euro 2016 qualifier against Iceland in September. He will join Mario Gotze, Franck Ribery and Mehdi Benatia on the sidelines.
GLYN KIRK/Getty Images
The bad news for Arsenal is that Robert Lewandowksi, who picked up a knock in the recent Bundesliga win over Werder Bremen, is fit to start.
Predicted Bayern XI (4-3-3): Manuel Neuer; David Alaba, Javi Martinez, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm; Xabi Alonso, Thiago Alcantara, Arturo Vidal; Douglas Costa, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller.
When Arsene Wenger was asked about the possibility of resting Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez for this match, he told the club's official website, "You would be surprised if I told you that I would rest them tomorrow, so I can tell you certainly not. Normally they should play tomorrow."
Wenger's response is perfectly understandable. If Arsenal is to overcome Bayern, they need their best players out on the Emirates turf. Ozil certainly fits into that category.
The German has enjoyed an upturn in his Premier League form of late. After scoring a crucial goal in the aforementioned victory over United, he went on to collect two assists in the following game at Watford.
Having missed a penalty in this fixture back in 2014, Ozil will be particularly keen to make amends this time around.
Is there a more dangerous striker in Europe than Lewandowski? The powerful Pole has scored an outrageous 22 goals for club and country already this season.
Wenger will desperately hope the experience of Cech, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny will be enough to keep him at bay. If Lewandowksi is afforded a chance to punish Arsenal, he will surely take it.
