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| Mikel Arteta's Arsenal will be the favorite when Bayern Munich visits the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, can Arsenal make them pay for the harsh defeats of the past? (Photo credit: Super Sport) |
Arsenal has grown from the team that turned up consistently to get beaten in Europe by Bayern Munich; the Tuesday fixture at the Emirates Stadium is a completely different ball game.
With Bayern Munich already wrapping up the Bundesliga title by February and then taking Arsenal to the cleaners in the round of 16 in the Champions League, fans of the Bavarians can hardly identify their club as they struggle to hang on to the second spot, far off the top spot currently occupied by Bayern Leverkusen.
Arsenal is at the top of the Premier League table, albeit on goal difference; they scored 75 goals, the highest in the league, conceded 24, the fewest in the league, and while everything seems to be ticking for Mikel Arteta’s team, things are not the same.
The era of steady 5-1 losses is over. Bayern Munich will go to the Emirates Stadium as the underdog, and we wouldn’t expect a straightforward game. The away game ban for their fans will also help the hosts. Bayern must find creative ways to navigate this fixture.
On a cheeky note, Harry Kane’s desire to win a trophy, which led him to make the hard decision of walking away from his love for Tottenham Hotspur, may still end in heartbreak. The DFB Pokal is gone, Bayern Leverkusen is wrapping up the league title next game week, and only the UCL is left.
Arsenal must achieve something with this new belief in the team; they’re cruising with all the stats in their favor, and they can’t afford to fail at this stage. The mentality in the team has improved from last season; the heartbreak of losing the title last season must count for something.
How will they line up? Bayern Munich got the timely boost of Manuel Neuer, Kingsley Coman, and former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane, who trained under Mikel Arteta, as they all returned to full training ahead of the quarterfinal clash at the Emirates.
Arsenal had the full complement of every player in training on Monday. Jurrien Timber is close to full fitness and available for selection, but expect Arteta to give him time to be fully ready before calling on him to help in any capacity.
Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu will both be expected to play some parts in the game. The fitness of both sides will be of huge help to either side. It’s a game we cannot wait to enjoy. It is Arsenal’s to lose on current form, but the Champions League is a different ball game, and Thomas Tuchel knows this.