Gary Neville explains why Arsenal will ‘struggle’ v Bayern despite ‘title-winning’ form

Iconic former Manchester United defender Gary Neville is concerned about how Arsenal will cope against Bayern Munich.

Arsenal are set to take on Bayern Munich in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final showdown on Tuesday.

The first-leg on this continental face-off will take place in North London. Arsenal will have a boost for this match as Bayern Munich will not be allowed to bring any of their own fans with them into the Gunners’ ground.

On top of that, Mikel Arteta’s side are coming into this encounter in far better form than the German giants. Bayern Munich are now about miss out on the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012, as Bayer Leverkusen are now one win away from sealing to championship and have a 16-point lead over Thomas Tuchel’s men.

Are Arsenal ready for Bayern Munich test?

Meanwhile, Arsenal are in flying form. They returned to the top of the Premier League table with an efficient 3-0 win over Brighton last time out and are unbeaten in the top flight of English football since the turn of the year.

Jamie Carragher is convinced that Arsenal have what it takes to beat Bayern Munich. However, the Gunners have not competed at this stage in Europe’s elite club competition for 14 years, and will have to show that they can handle the pressure of the occasion.

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The visitors also possess plenty of elite-level quality in their ranks, despite their poor domestic form. The likes of Harry Kane, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, and Leroy Sane, amongst others, have the capacity to hurt the Gunners. It has been suggested that Bayern Munich have more individual quality in their squad than Arsenal.

This two-legged tie will be a huge test of Arsenal’s character, but it is also an opportunity for them to prove beyond all doubt that they now belong back at the top of the game. Certainly, if they can get past Bayern Munich and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League then that would give the players an enormous confidence boost.

READ MORE: Arsenal’s all-time record vs Bayern Munich

Gary Neville previews Arsenal v Bayern Munich

Arsenal have every reason to believe that they can win, and need only to look at their Premier League form for inspiration.

However, Gary Neville still fears for the Gunners. Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, the pundit reflected on their triumph over Brighton, describing it as “a title-winning type performance where you just sort of, if you like, do your job.”

The former full-back then went on to state, “I hope Arsenal beat Bayern Munich, of course I do. I actually think, Arsenal will struggle against Bayern Munich. I know Bayern Munich at this moment in time are having a torrid time in the Bundesliga, but I just feel Arsenal will struggle against the might, the history, going to the Allianz in the second leg. That may just be too much for them.”

READ MORE: Arsenal’s XI the last time they faced Bayern Munich