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Arsenal prepare for their first Champions League quarter final since 2010 as they host Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium in a season-defining encounter. Thomas Tuchel’s side are looking to salvage their season, having squandered their hopes of winning the Bundesliga after 11 continuous titles domestically, and provide significant opposition for the Gunners who are balancing European football with their pursuit of the Premier League.
As they prepare for the next round of Champions League football, let’s assess both sides’ chances of reaching the last four as well as a potential date with destiny at Wembley.
All or nothing for Arsenal?
With so much riding on a win in north London, the good form of Liverpool and Manchester City has made capturing the title in England an even tougher prospect for Mikel Arteta, and attention may turn to the Champions League in the hopes of securing a trophy. Assembling this Arsenal side cost north of £700 million and with such heavy investment that has to be a return of a trophy.
Granted, they arrived in the competition for the first time since 2017 and some even considered them outsiders when the group stages were finished, but having garnered a surge of momentum and demonstrated they can compete with the best in Europe, this game surely has to be a real chance for Arsenal to stake their claim as potential kings of the continent and win the trophy for the first time in their history.
Tuchel in hot water
Over to Germany and it looks as if Bayern’s stronghold on the Bundesliga has finally come to an end, with Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten at the time of writing, extending their lead at the top to 13 points. Jamal Musiala bailed the six-time European Champions out on the final day of last season, as Borussia Dortmund’s capitulation saved Tuchel’s blushes, but some more inconsistency this term will surely see the former Chelsea boss face the chopping board come the end of the season.
With Xabi Alonso confirming he will stay at Leverkusen next season, Tuchel could save himself once more if his side can overcome Arsenal and go on to win the Champions League for a seventh time. They still have an experienced side, but UK betting sites have Arsenal at odds of 5/6 to secure the win in the first leg – they may have to wait for the return leg in Munich to try and reach Wembley, a ground they actually won the competition on the last time it hosted a European final, with Arjen Robben scoring late on in an all-German affair, as Bayern beat Dortmund 2-1 in Der Klassiker on British soil.
Last time out
The last meeting between the two sides is one Arsenal fans will hope to forget. The Gunners were dumped out of Arsene Wenger’s last Champions League campaign with a resounding 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern in 2017, with the Germans dismantling a lacklustre side 5-1 in each leg.
While it might be embarrassing to look back on from an Arsenal perspective it shows how far they have come. That Bayern side had wonderful technicians like Thiago, Arturo Vidal, Robben, Frank Ribery and even Alonso in the lineup, and to go from losses like that to now possessing a team that could go toe-to-toe with Bayern is commendable and shows the great work Arteta has done, with the now even challenging for the Premier League title.
Indeed, the Gunners will need their shooting boots on at the Emirates, and with Bukayo Saka seemingly back to full fitness after limping off against City, the young Englishman has a great chance to showcase his abilities on the biggest stage.
Can Kane be stopped?
Of course, we were going to talk about the elephant in the room – Harry Kane. Bayern’s talisman, a legend at Tottenham Hotspur – would love nothing more than to dump his former rivals out of the competition, and with a staggering 37 goals in 36 games, he has all the ability to cause Arsenal significant headaches in both London and Bavaria.
The England captain is the leading scorer in the Bundesliga and is desperate to win the first trophy of his career. The Bayern fans will be looking for him to answer their prayers and his battle with Arsenal centre backs Gabriel and William Saliba will be key to both side’s progression.
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Overall, both sides have the ability to reach the last four and this Champions League encounter is fascinating to say the least. Knowing how both teams set up stylistically, it could be a case of Arsenal throwing everything at Bayern in the first 20 before retreating if they look susceptible to the pace of the Germans in transition. The way they approached the City game means Arteta would be reluctant to over commit away from home, but with the Emirates in full voice it’s likely Arsenal get the better of the first leg. But this is European football at its best and with this being the last edition of the competition’s current format, it will be a great watch for both supporters and neutrals.
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