Following the nervy win over FC Porto via penalty shootout, Arsenal has finally gotten a date with destiny, against a side, Bayern Munich, that has been a thorn in our flesh in quite recent memory. Losing 10-2 on aggregate over two legs is not a pleasant thing, but it actually happened when Arsenal met Bayern Munich in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

However, this is totally different Arsenal from the Arsene Wenger side that was pummeled eons ago, and in all fairness, this is also a different Bayern Munich side as well. For starters, the club is going through a tumultuous time with head coach, Thomas Tuchel, set to leave at the end of the season. The results on the pitch have been atrocious by their high standards, with their last two consecutive losses to Borussia Dortmund and FC Heidenheim seeing the Bavarian giants currently 16 points, yes, 16 points behind Bayer Leverkusen with only six Bundesliga games left to play.

To top things off, Bayern Munich will visit the Emirates Stadium tonight without any fans, following the fracas in their previous game against SS Lazio in the Round of 16. Everything points to Arsenal for a victory right? But it’s not that simple. Bayern Munich remains one of the biggest names in the European football scene, and with only the Champions League left to fight for, you can bet your smart money that they will be coming all guns blazing for their double header with Arsenal.

The Gunners will also need to be wary about a certain Harry Kane, that was a scourge in his Tottenham days. The England captain has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in Bavaria, scoring 38 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions this season.

But then again, this Arsenal is in amazing form.

Since the turn of the new year, Mikel Arteta’s side has churned out some fascinating results (11 W, 1 D, 1 L) with a stellar defensive record, and some players have really stood out, with Kai Havertz pretty much the most in-form superstar in the club at the moment. So good that he has become the de-facto center forward at the behest of Gabriel Jesus, who has been shunted to the left wing to battle things out with his compatriot, Gabriel Martinelli. We have also seen a renaissance from Jorginho, that has kept Thomas Partey out of the side and has been very immense with his passing play, dictating the tempo and using his influence to great effect in the center of the park.

Of course, you can’t talk about Arsenal’s form without mentioning the class act performances from the defensive rearguard. David Raya has been racking up the clean sheets with reckless abandon and still pops up with an important save or two, further solidifying his place in the starting berth at the club ahead of Aaron Ramsdale. The formidable colossal duo of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have been exceptional, with Ben White doing his thing with sheer consistency while game time has alternated heavily on the left with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu taking turns.

To team news, I’d expect Gabriel Martinelli to return to first team after a handful of appearances from the substitutes bench, since his bizarre injury in the 6-0 demolition of Sheffield United, but his performances from the right hand side have been somewhat underwhelming, as he’s way better on the left. While there have been legitimate concerns over the fitness of Bukayo Saka, you can say that his minutes have been managed well. Arteta has a very fit squad to choose from with the only injury absence being Jurrien Timber, who we will still be expecting to play some part this campaign.

Arsenal and Bayern Munich Predicted Lineups

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Odegaard, Rice, Jorginho; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Bayern Munich: Ulreich; Davies, Dier, De Ligt, Kimmich; Laimer, Goretzka; Sane, Muller, Musiala; Kane

Injury / Suspension Updates

Arsenal: Jurrien Timber (knee)

Bayern Munich: Bouna Sarr (knee), Sacha Boey (hip), Tarek Buchmann (hamstring)

Form Guide

Arsenal Form

• Last Five Games: W W D W W
• Last Result: Brighton 0-3 Arsenal (Saka 33′, Havertz 62′, Trossard 86′)
• Leading Goalscorer: Bukayo Saka (17)

Bayern Form

• Last Five Games: W W W L L
• Last Result: FC Heidenheim 3-2 Bayern Munich (Sessa 50′, Kleindienst 51′, 79′ | Kane 38′, Gnabry 45′)
• Leading Goalscorer: Harry Kane (38)

Gooner Daily predicts a 2 – 0 win.

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