Arsenal welcome travelling Bayern Munich in Group F of the Champions League on Tuesday, as they look to bounce back from consecutive defeats in their first two games in the competition.
Visiting Munich, meanwhile, have won both of their fixtures in the European showpiece and have also claimed nine victories from nine games in the Bundesliga this term.
Arsenal
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The Champions League has so far provided some rather bleak viewing for Arsenal fans following successive defeats in their opening two games in the competition.
Losses to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos not only brought into question the Gunners' ability to compete on the biggest of European stages, but it also put some unnecessary pressure on Arsene Wenger following his suspect decision to pick David Ospina over Petr Cech in the group stage.
Those defeats at the hands of the group's lesser sides have surely left Arsenal realistically eyeing a second-place finish in the standings, but they will know that they will at least have to pick up some sort of points tally against Bayern if they are going to do so.
That prospect appeared a touch speculative following their defeat against the Greeks, but Wenger's men have bounced back imperiously following a humbling victory over Manchester United and another win against Watford to follow things up in the Premier League.
The manner in which Arsenal dispatched United in the first 20 minutes of the game will have in no doubt posed some questions for Bayern's defence to answer in training as they prepared for this contest.
Alexis Sanchez's form will have pleased Wenger of late and the Chilean will surely be key to any success that the Gunners might achieve against Pep Guardiola's men on Tuesday. As it stands, Sanchez has now scored seven goals in his last four games in all competitions.
Since the weekend's victory over Watford, Wenger has also come out to insist that his side plan to go on the offensive against the visiting Bavarians, and that prospect will surely excite Arsenal fans who will probably realise that they might need at least two goals on home soil if they want to at least come away with a point.
Recent form (all competitions): LWWLWW
Bayern Munich
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Munich's start to the Champions League could not be any more different to Arsenal's, as Guardiola has managed to lead his side to two wins from two games thus far.
Coupled with that is the club's form in the Bundesliga, where the German champions have won every one of the nine matches put in front of them. Amongst those wins also came a rather humiliating demolition of Klassiker rivals Borussia Dortmund, who were beaten 5-1 at the Allianz Arena a few weeks ago.
Bayern go into the fixture knowing that they have some positive form in North London behind them, where they have been able to score five and concede only one in their last two away fixtures against Arsenal.
What will delight Guardiola ahead of the contest is his side's efficiency in front of goal, having scored at least three goals in each of their last three Champions League fixtures.
Frontman Robert Lewandowski has been in imperious form so far after collecting 16 goals in all competitions, but he did, however, draw a blank in the club's most recent Bundesliga outing against Werder Bremen.
Current form and history suggest that the Bavarians will go into the fixture with bags of confidence, although that has not stopped Guardiola from meticulously planning his side's visit to London by leaving a day earlier than his club usually do for away European contests.
Munich will want to wrap up things at the earliest possible moment in order to rest the likes of Lewandowski, Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller for the latter stages, and they will know that a positive result against the Gunners should move them somewhere closer to an easier passage into the knockout rounds.
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWW
Team News
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Wenger will have frontman Olivier Giroud back from European suspension, but he is likely to stick with the in-form Theo Walcott in attack.
The major news will concern Cech, who is almost certain to earn his first Champions League start for the club given the injury to Ospina, while Gabriel is also available again after missing out against Watford.
The Gunners are still being plagued by the longer-term injuries of Danny Welbeck, Tomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini, though.
For Munich, Robben will not feature away from home as he has been left in Germany, but Lewandowski has already been passed fit to feature.
The game has come too quickly for Mario Gotze who was injured during the international break and he will be absent alongside Mehdi Benatia and Franck Ribery. Guardiola is likely to stick with his 4-3-3 formation that has become a staple in the Champions League thus far.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Cech; Monreal, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Bellerín; Cazorla, Coquelin; Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey; Walcott
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Alaba, Martinez, Boateng, Lahm; Alcantara, Alonso, Vidal; Costa, Lewandowski, Muller
Head To Head
The clubs last met during the 2013-14 season in the same competition, where Bayern were able to send the Gunners tumbling out of the tournament in the last-16 stage over two legs. Arsenal were able to earn a 1-1 draw away from home, but that score did not prove good enough given that Bayern had won 2-0 in the opening fixture in London. Across the teams' last six meetings, Bayern have won four and lost two.
We say: Arsenal 2-2 Bayern Munich
Bayern have been remarkable this season and have already set new records in the Bundesliga following their winning run. The Germans will travel to London full of confidence, but Arsenal will be keen to prove people wrong after a terrible start in the competition. Wenger's men have shown over the past few weeks in the Premier League that they are capable of causing some real problems going forward. They may foreseeably be able get some change out of Munich's defence if they are able to hit the visitors with the same sort of pace and invention that was displayed in the victory over United in September.
Christopher Dodd
