Just as Frodo admitted to not remembering the taste of food, nor the sound of water, nor the touch of grass whilst at the steps of Mt. Doom in his quest to destroy the One Ring; all recollection of the Champions League quarter-final has disappeared from the memories of Arsenal fans.
It has been years since the Gunners made the last 8, seven to be precise. And just as their Old Trafford hoodoo weighed down on the players, their failure to make it past the round of 16 in the last six seasons haunts the north London outfit.
Bayern Munich (twice), Barcelona (twice), AC Milan, and Monaco were their opponents in the round of 16 in the past six seasons, and all matchups ended in exits for Wenger’s side. This season, Arsenal will face the Bavarians for a third time in four years.
Gooners will be asking themselves this: will this be the season that Arsenal ends their Champions League round of 16 hoodoo, or should they prepare confetti for another early goodbye party? Unfortunately, the latter appears more likely due to die Roten’s envious form, and Arsenal’s lack of it.
Carlo Ancelotti’s boys lead the Bundesliga – business as usual – having snatched top spot from surprise package RB Leipzig. The German giants, who love trolling their north London nemesis on Twitter every opportunity they get, have lost only once in their last 12 matches.
Le Prof’s side, on the other hand, have lost four out of their last 12 games – all four coming in the Premier League. Back-to-back defeats to Watford and Chelsea ended their hopes of winning the English top-flight, shattered their confidence, and turned even more fans against their long-serving manager.
Whilst Alexis Sanchez continues to inspire Arsenal’s attack, a few big-name players, namely Petr Cech and Mesut Ozil, have failed to impress this season. It is the form of the latter that sparked anger from the fans, and even within the club, as there are reports some players are upset that the “untouchable” German playmaker remains in the starting lineup.
The one bright side is the return of Granit Xhaka, who has been suspended in the Premier League for four games. In his absence, Arsenal’s midfield suffered and appeared awkward even in their latest victory. However, Santi Cazorla, a key figure from their unforgettable 2-0 win at the Allianz Arena, remains injured and missed.
Xhaka could return to Arsenal's lineup on Wednesday
One thing is for sure: Arsenal is a club that never gives up, mounting brave fights even if it comes too late. As a result, one cannot count out the Gunners, even though the odds don’t favor the Premier League outfit.
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