Many wondered how incoming manager Pep Guardiola could ever improve Jupp Heynckes’ side which recorded an impressive treble last season and on the course of winning the Champions League subjected arguably modern era’s finest side, FC Barcelona to a 7-0 loss on aggregate.
However with over a quarter of a season still left to play we can see just how much Bayern have improved under their new manager. From being the best side in Europe last season they are now manoeuvring over a path which could inevitably make them indestructible, and this is why Arsenal will find it extremely difficult to get the better of a side which has just lost twice this season.
However Arsenal are no ordinary team either, the Gunners have in the past shown exemplary resilience in European competitions dating back to their dream Champions League run in 2006 when they beat the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus to clinch a place in the final. Or their victory at the San Siro back in 2008 which made them the first English side to beat Milan at the San Siro.
However the performance which will give them the biggest boost of confidence is their 2-0 victory over the Bavarians at the Allianz Arena last season at a time Die Roten were at their most vicious of forms. Even though a lot of things have changed since then and Bayern are a much stronger side as a result, below are five ways the Gunners can beat Bayern Munich to secure a place to the next round of the competition:
Play counter attacking football
Arsenal might see very little of the ball keeping in mind how much Pep Guardiola’s team loves to control possession, but when they do get those limited opportunities with the ball on their feet Arsene Wenger’s men must make the most out of it. Arsenal’s best tactic on that night would be to frustrate the Bavarians by giving them no space in the final third and then hitting back on a counter attack.
Bayern’s worst defeat this season came during Pep Guardiola’s first official match as manager of the club when Borussia Dortmund defeated them 4-2 to clinch the German Super Cup, this was courtesy of Jurgen Klopp’s excellent counter attacking tactics and even though Pep Guardiola has worked hard on this weakness of his team since then it still remains their weakest point and one Arsenal and Arsene must use to their advantage.
Take advantage of set pieces
Arsenal have been abysmally bad at turning set pieces into goals this season and according to whoscored.com Arsenal have only scored five times from set pieces in the league only West Ham, Aston Villa and Norwich have managed a lower number.
However with expert set piece takers such as Ozil and Cazorla and with the towering presence of the likes of Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud Arsenal must really be doing better. What stands in Arsenal’s favour is the fact that Bayern’s first choice defensive pairing of Jerome Boateng and Dante is not the strongest in the air and the Gunners have the ability to torment them aerially.
Isolating Dante
The Brazilian is probably Bayern’s weakest link and his blunders have resulted in the Bavarians conceding a number of goals this season. The 30 year old earned yellow cards in both of his last two Champions League matches and also conceded penalties in both of them. Pep Guardiola’s system of playing with a single holding midfielder has exposed Bayern’s centre backs to a lot of one on one battles and Dante in particular has been less than impressive in such situations.
Dominate the midfield
Easier said than done, but if Arsenal manage to control the midfield they have a very good chance of advancing to the next round. With the plethora of talent Guardiola has to his expense it really will be a himalayan of a task to keep the likes of Mario Gotze, Thiago Alcantara Toni Kroos as well as Philipp Lahm at bay.
Mathieu Flamini’s presence will be valuable to the Gunners. The Frenchman has emerged as one of the finest play breakers in the country and he will be responsible of ensuring that Bayern’s attacking trio do not get much room to operate in the final third. He will most likely be accompanied in the middle of the park by Jack Wilshere who on his day can be a force to reckon. The Englishman proved to be vital last time the Gunners scored a victory over a Pep Guardiola side, the match saw a young Wilshere dominate the midfield in the presence of midfield maestros Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta and will need to produce a similar performance to help his side score a historic victory.
Good showing at home
Arsene Wenger’s side are a difficult team to break down at home. In 13 matches the Gunners have played at the Emirates in the league this season they have conceded just six goals losing only once. Furthermore Arsenal have been a much more resilient defensive unit this season and should they succeed in not letting the Bavarians score at the Emirates in the first leg, the tides will surely turn in their favour.
