Disappointing defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos turned the high-profile encounter against Bayern Munich into a must-win game for the Arsenal.
Arsenal go into the match against Bayern under big pressure to pick up a result if they don’t want European elimination before Christmas. Arsenal have lost their opening two group matches, but the Gunners have yet to experience three Champions League group-stage defeats. They will be the underdogs at home on Tuesday.
The disappointing home loss to Olympiakos remains the only under-par result in the last four weeks, during which Arsenal hammered Leicester City, Manchester United and Watford in the league while beating bitter rivals Tottenham in the League Cup.  Arsenal desperately need a win on Tuesday evening to keep their qualifying hopes alive and the only way to do so is to attack from the off. They come into this match after an impressive second half against Watford. Their 3-0 win kept them in second place in the Premier League. The Bavarians have won all 12 games this season and while the team clearly did not want to waste too much energy in the weekend’s 1-0 triumph over Werder Bremen, six straight victories in which Bayern scored a total of 24 goals are enough to suggest that Arsenal defenders will have their work cut out for them
Alexis Sanchez’s form will be key to any victory for Arsenal. The Chile international has scored seven goals in his last four games in all competitions for Arsenal. Robert Lewandowski, on the other hand, drew a blank at the weekend, bringing close to a run of 12 goals in four games for Bayern.
Head to Head
Arsenal and Bayern are familiar opponents, with this clash to be their third double-header in the last four seasons. The 2013 and 2014 meetings were in the last-16 stage, with Pep Guardiola’s side progressing on both occasions. Arsenal haven’t beaten Bayern at home since 2005 when Thierry Henry was the difference in a 1-0 victory. The Gunners have also only managed one goal in their last two home meetings with Bayern, conceding five.
Match facts
- Arsenal and Bayern Munich are facing each other for the third time in the last four Champions League seasons.
- Bayern Munich have beaten Arsenal on their two trips to the Emirates in the Champions League (3-1 in February 2013, 2-0 in February 2014). Both were in the last 16 stage of the competition.
- Arsenal have lost their opening two games in a Champions League group stage for the first time in their history. The last team to qualify for the knockout stages despite such a start were Galatasaray in 2012/13.
- Arsenal have never lost three consecutive games in the Champions League.
- Arsenal have lost six of their last 12 Champions League home games. They had lost only one of their previous 39 games on their own soil.
- Arsenal have conceded exactly three goals in three of their last four Champions League games at the Emirates (v Anderlecht, Monaco, Olympiakos).
- Arsenal have only failed to score three times in their last 30 Champions League home games.
- Arsenal have made it past the group stages in the last 12 seasons but have been knocked out at the last 16 stage in the last five campaigns.
Team News
Jack Wilshere (ankle), Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky (both knee) won’t be play for Arsenal, but Arsene Wenger will have striker Olivier Giroud available following his one-game suspension for a red card in their opening game of the Champions League group stage.
Bayern Munich will be without Medhi Benatia (hamstring), Holder Badstuber (slow recovery from foo injury), Sebastian Rode (tendons), Mario Gotze (adductor) and Franck Ribery (ankle). Kingsley Coman and Arjen Robben are both expected to be named in Pep Guardiola’s squad but are yet to be cleared as fully fit.
From : SS.com
