Arsenal and Bayern Munich meet on the Emirates on Wednesday with each side good within the Champions League league section, and solely objective distinction separating them.
For as soon as, historical past issues lower than kind, and the competition feels far nearer than their previous conferences counsel.
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In June 2013, Arsenal’s then CEO, Ivan Gazidis mentioned, “We should always have the ability to compete at a stage like a membership equivalent to Bayern Munich.” All people laughed, together with Arsenal followers.
After that assertion, and earlier than Gazidis left the membership in 2018, Arsenal performed Bayern seven extra occasions, successful twice, however shedding 4, together with a run of three 5-1 defeats in a row.
How issues have modified since then.
As we come to the top of 2025, Arsenal host Bayern Munich realizing that high spot within the Champions League league section could possibly be formed by what occurs on the Emirates.
Each golf equipment are available in with 4 wins from 4 and the margins between them are genuinely small. Bayern have scored solely three greater than Arsenal however have additionally conceded three extra, so there is no such thing as a grand divide right here, as there was so typically previously.
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For Mikel Arteta, the standout element of this season has been management. Arsenal have gone by the league section with out conceding to date, have received 15 straight European residence group matches, and arrive off the again of a that underlined the squad’s strengths regardless of .
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Bayern are unbeaten this season and scoring objectives for enjoyable (41 within the Bundesliga, virtually twice as many as RB Leipzig in second place), however needed to come again from two down on the weekend to seal their 6-2 win over Freiburg at residence. They continue to be one of many few sides in Europe who can match Arsenal bodily and technically.
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Arteta will once more be with out Gabriel Magalhães, dominated out after a thigh damage with Brazil. He admitted, “It’s clearly a blow. It’s our chief in our backline,” however added, “the great factor is we now have some excellent choices. They should get up now.” It stays to be seen if Piero Hincapié, who began towards Spurs, or Cristhian Mosquera, will get the nod to begin, however there are not any issues from followers no matter who’s picked.
Bayern journey with out Luis Díaz (suspended), Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies. Former Gunner, is anticipated to face his former membership after lacking the sport on the weekend, whereas Vincent Kompany has leaned on youthful gamers to cowl accidents all through the season.
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Historical past leans closely in Bayern’s favour and Arsenal followers nonetheless carry the scars of these brutal defeats at Bayern’s fingers. They’ve overwhelmed Arsenal in 4 of the final 5 conferences, together with the quarter-final in 2024, settled by Joshua Kimmich’s header in Munich, when Arsenal might – and maybe ought to – have performed higher.
Arsenal, nonetheless, have solely two wins of their final 9 towards German opposition. Bayern, in the meantime, have misplaced simply two of their final 15 Champions League matches.
However this Arsenal facet are a really completely different proposition from the one Bayern repeatedly dismantled previously decade. They’re the one workforce on this season’s competitors to not concede, and their residence kind is now some of the formidable within the match. Solely a freak free-kick has defeated the Gunners this season.
An Arsenal win right here can be yet one more huge assertion from this workforce, and a protracted overdue one, at that.