Journalist Charles Watts has now given his verdict on how Mikel Arteta will set up his Arsenal team to take on Bayern Munich.
Arsenal will face-off against Bayern Munich in a Champions League quarter-final clash.
The Gunners are in for a tough test against the German giants. Whilst Thomas Tuchel’s side have not been at their best domestically this season, they still have enough firepower to punish the north London club. Journalist Gab Marcotti believes that Bayern Munich outclass Arsenal on an individual player-for-player basis across both side’s respective starting XIs.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side have been in incredible form so far this year, and will be determined show that they belong at this level having just reached this stage of the Champions League for the first time in 14 years.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes that Arsenal can beat Bayern Munich, but they will have to be at their best to do so.
How will Arsenal set up against Bayern Munich?
The first-leg of this Champions League tie will take place at the Emirates Stadium on April 9th. Arsenal will have a boost in that game, as Bayern Munich are not able to bring any of their own fans with them to north London.
Arteta called upon the Arsenal fans to create a raucous atmosphere for the visit of Porto in the previous round of Europe’s elite club competition. He will want more of the same energy and passion from the stands on this occasion.
The Gunners will be desperate to secure an aggregate lead in this first-leg that they can take with them to the Allianz Arena.
Charles Watts certainly thinks that Arsenal will take the game to the Bavarian outfit in search of a positive result. As quoted by Caught Offside, the reporter said, “this Arsenal team won’t spend too much time worrying about Bayern. They will do their homework obviously, Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff will ensure they are well versed in what threats the Germans possess. But Arsenal back themselves against anyone now. The preparation ahead of the two ties won’t be ‘how can we stop Bayern?’ It will be ‘how can we hurt Bayern?’. They will look to take the game to them and I think they are more than capable of doing that.”
What do Arsenal have to fear against Bayern Munich?
Arsenal have been warned that the likes of Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, and Harry Kane could all produce an “explosive” performance. The Gunners are all too familiar with the threat that Kane poses. He was a persistent thorn in their side across his long spell with their north London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
Kane is undeniably one of the best strikers in world football. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will have to be at their best in the heart of the Arsenal defence to deal with the 30-year-old.
Arteta’s men will also have to step up to the challenge of keeping cool heads on what is such a huge occasion. The vast majority of this Arsenal squad have not competed at this stage in the Champions League before. This tie will be a test of this young team’s maturity.