Can Gunners Repeat Recent Form In Munich?
Nov 3rd, 2015 by 'holic
Bayern Munich, away. Say it quickly and the enormity of the challenge facing Arsenal may not hit for a while. Go over in your mind our last two results in Munich, a 1-1 draw in 2014, and a 0-2 win in 2013, and you might even believe we have a very real chance of getting something out of what could be our toughest away fixture of the season. That seems to be pretty much Arsene Wenger’s take on the upcoming match too.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Bayern, they are playing extremely well, but I think it is a good opportunity for us to show that we are moving forward, that we are up to the test we face tomorrow. We have shown that in the first game. What you want is 100 per cent commitment from your players in an intelligent way. What we want is a similar performance what we did against them, we have done well here and we just want to do what it takes to make a positive result tomorrow.”
It has to be said that for lightning to strike twice we will have to be at our very, very best in the Allianz Arena. Our cause has not been helped by the news that Hector Bellerin was left at home with a groin injury. Mathieu Debuchy is the obvious replacement and although he has struggled in his four appearances this season he has those, and a wealth of experience, under his belt. He’ll need to be at his best to nullify the threat that Douglas Costa poses.
Back from the World U-17 championship, Jeff Reine-Adelaide goes straight in to squad, but will surely be on the bench at best? Joel Campbell did enough at Swansea to keep his place on the right but will need to show his defensive qualities in support of Debuchy behind him. That combination on the right may be unproven but it’s the best fit pairing we have for those roles at present. What an opportunity it is for them to make their case for more regular first-team football.
Better minds than mine are pondering how, or even if, Arsenal will attempt to attack Bayern in their heartland. A repeat set-up of the first leg is expected with Santi Cazorla holding deep alongside Francis Coquelin, the two wide players expected to cover the entire flank, sitting deep when Bayern have it, and exploding forward should we counter. The key could be how much room Mesut Ozil can find in a crowded midfield. Pep Guardiola thinks we may have something more basic in mind.
“Arsenal is a top team in Europe. They are strong enough. Arsenal want to attack but it’s difficult against us with our good pressing game. They will play a lot of high passes to Olivier Giroud. We did not allow them to do so in the first game.”
Giroud and his opposite number Lewandowski will certainly feature strongly, and both will be closely marked. Olivier will probably have to do a lot of work with his back to goal but that is a job he usually does well. Chances for both will probably be few and far between, but they are likeliest to be on target for their respective teams.
The ‘holic pound
As ever I am chasing a bit of value, and that isn’t hard to find here. No matter how unlikely an Arsenal win might appear to the pundits, odds of 7/1 in a two horse race are too good to ignore. Odds-on favourites can and do hit unexpected trouble in running. A back-up pound on the draw at 9/2 appeals as well.
I hope those who have survived the fog-induced delays of the last couple of days and are now enjoying German hospitality (sausages and beer to you and me!) get to see one of those gritty backs to the wall performances that we are capable of, and have produced in Munich before. Enjoy your trip, and come back safe.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
98 Responses to “Can Gunners Repeat Recent Form In Munich?”
Pep ’em!
glad to know the jeff is back, ‘holic, but gutted to hear about hector. debuchy and campbell are not clodhoppers, but neither are they the two fastest in our squad. that’s a big loss down the right side, hector and theo. let’s hope they’re up to the task.
here’s to a good result, and thanks for the preview! some whistlepig 10 year old rye on the bar for ya…
Hard luck for Bellerin; what does that mean for the neighbours’ visit?
No mention of Brian Munching?
Have I read the wrong preview?
😀 gsd. i am just glad his spillchucker didn’t put it to brain munching, appropriate though it is during these all hallowed eves…
Good one H
Tight as a fish’s wotsit for the first twenty.
Cannot afford to concede sloppy early goal.
If we give away possession with the same cavalier abandon that we did in Wales,we will get a hiding.
Cech could be the diffo.
Fingers/testicles/legs/eyes and breasts all crossed.!!
But more in hope than anticipation.
scruz.
Gabriel might be up for a bit of brain munching.
If we get a goal I hope it’s one of our Germans. That would be nice.
Top preview H.
Whatever happens, no more feckin’ injuries.
Please!
gsd, gabriel looks past that, and is ready to pick his teeth with their bones. 🙂 and i surely hope he gets the chance to dine on robben in particular, at his leisure.
scruz.
By the time Gabriel is done with him Robben may have as many battle scars as Ribery!
i hope he’s missing a leg and has forgotten how to dive through amnesia, gsd.
my biggest fear on this game is robben’s acrobatic penchant during the last few minutes of a draw.
In the first game,Robben was missing. He could come back to haunt the gunners just as he did to MU.In that game he was waiting isolated outside the box when a ball came to him. He lashed the ball home.MU went out of the cl.
That shows the danger he can pose to Arsenal.We have our own dm as well.If the gunners can nick a point,why not.
The thing is every gunner must defend as a unit.
Somebody please hit Robben with a two by four.
Of late guys like Rooney have found scoring a problem.
This aint surprising bearing in mind he is hitting the 30 year mark.I know he has just scored in the cl.
Robben at 31 plus is still a danger.I expect age to slow him down soon and why not against the gunners.The thing is he must be shadowed by at least 2 if not 3gunners to crowd him out.
Sanchez was crowded out by 3 BM players in the first game. Hopefully he will create problems with his direct running and lung bursting bursts .
I have a good feeling about this game we are a very solid defensive unit now and add giroud to the mix defensively on their corners /free kicks. I think a draw is very likely if not a win
AW says AOC and Ramsey could be back after the breakbut makes no mention of Theo in his update. An extended three weeks then?
I see from George’s post that Rooney is a “late guy”. A clever way of describing the fag end of Rooney’s career, or the death of the comma?
I also see from George’s post that Rooney is “hitting the 30 yr mark”. On the contrary, I thought “hitting” the 60 yr mark was more his thing?…
Very nice preview barkeep!
Not feeling overly confident with our new look right side but if we’re to sit deep again Debuchy has a good opportunity to shine. Still I wonder if Arsene will be tempted to deputize Gabriel rather than Per to balance the defense.
On the front side JC may not be our most athletic player but his tricky feet may provide what Giroud needs.
A victory would be an exceptional result given the circumstances but with Bayern seemingly slowing down in the bundesliga it looks within reach.
@12 GG: not that worried about Robben who’s just back and hopefully not match fit. Now with some luck he’ll be back to his selfish best and keep bouncing into Monreal rather than pass to Lewandowski.
Cherry on the cake would be a Zagreb victory, anything other than a greek victory would be fine in reality.
Nice work Holic.
I’m in Washington where I have met many Gooners. Several of them Ethiopian taxi drivers.
I have been very pessimistic about our last two games there and we’ve done brilliantly in both. So I’m saying 1-1 and we will qualify with a storming win in Athens
Those Ethiopian taxi gunners get everywhere…
Oskar
Good preview, ‘Holic. A point is the minimum we have to come away with. Any more would be icing on the cake. It will take hard work to achieve either outcome. Big night for Campbell and Debuchy to come good, and the big names will have to play up to their reputations.
Good stuff, Holic.
If we do sit deep – and a right side pairing of Debuchy and Campbell may well encourage us to do that – I think he will stick with Mertesacker who is excellent at organising that back four when his lack of pace is not exposed.
Is Robben, on a par with Terry, Drogba et al on the “dislike-ometer”, fit for this leg ?
If he is, george gunner, i hope Debuchy lands one to slow him down a bit, if his 31 years don’t manage it on their own. I hope we have a more savvy ref than in the first leg who won’t be taken in by his diving and play acting, ( but who also completely misses Debuchy’s ‘reducer’! ).
When you leave an Ethiopian taxi driver, does he wave through the window and call out “abyssinia !”.
😉
Fine preview Guvna. I think that if we are at our individual and collective best tonight we will get something from this game. Another win against Brian Munching would be spectacular but I would be delighted with a point. Clean sheet please boys. Now’s your chance to claim your place back MD2. Go for it boys.
COYGs
And i really do hope Douglass Costa don’t get to dine on mathieu debuchy.
They better do em tonight as it my 29th birthday again! 😀
Come on you Gooners!
We’ll park the bus. Get ready for a nervy 0-0.
UTA.
Robben diving for apples all hallows eve. Munster.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/youre-a-bit-old-for-that-arjen-robbens-embarrassing-dive-for-bayern-v-frankfurt-video/?
Happy birthday ATG you are younger than Robben. 😉
Great preview as usual Holic.
Tough game tonight as the players we’ve lost are the ones who provide pace and I feel to get anything against Bayern, we’re going to need a lot of pace and good deal of luck especially away from home.
Still though, I honestly feel that the win at the weekend in Swansea was a very underrated result and one filled with character.
And while I think Bayern are very strong, I do think that they are a lessor team to the one that won the CL recently under Heynckes. Pepe’s brand of technical interplay and possession is not as effective with Bayern to the one of physical power and pace under Jupp Heyckes. To prove otherwise and to be considered a real success in Germany, Pepe will have to win the CL again with this Bayern side. I don’t think he will.
Abyssinia = i’ll be seein’ya
* grabs coat *
* chuckles at ‘Brian Munching’ on the way out *
Joe,
Not sure whether Bayern will win it again or not, but I do agree with the rest of your last paragraph especially.
With games like this I always try a combined bat, H. Better value. So something like Giroud to score and Arsenal to win pays 16/1 with Skybet
Chris Coleman is an angry man today. He also says that Aaron Ramsey’s hamstring injury, which will keep him out for a month, is Arsenal’s fault.
“If Wenger has a problem with me or my selection, I’ll gladly drive to Arsenal’s training ground,” adds Wales boss Coleman.
—-
Ohh…Fiesty….!
😀
Nice priview H
Tonight I think will be a very cagey affair. A defeat suits nobody but a draw is not a bad result for either side. Bayern are one of the very top teams in Europe and are rightly one of the favourites for this competition. That said, our recent record against them is decent.
For us to get anything out of tonight I think we need our big guns to put in a real performance. Leaders need to be just that. This will not be a place for the faint hearted. Whatever happens in Germany we could really do with Olympiakos getting something against Zagreb. That would cause us problems.
Trev
They’re never funny if you have to explain them.
🙂
SteveT: agree a point a piece wouldn’t be bad for either side, but suspect Bayern won’t want to lose at home. Plus, I think they would be more concerned about meeting us later in the competition than Olympiacos or Zagreb so will want to keep the pressure on. As Clive said above, lots of body parts need crossing tonight.
bt8b@29: Robben should have got a second yellow for the finger wag at the ref after that appalling dive. There was enough room between him and the defender to worry an agoraphobic.
I got it Trev?
He left me punching the air and shouting ‘ Arsenal for the EPL!’
His name was Selassie
I think highly of Selassie?
I hear Gibbs is going to play left side with Sanchez switched to the right
Fact is, we can announce Alexis will be switched to the right but who knows when he may show up on Bayern’s left, right and center. 😀
Happy match watching to all the ‘holics and to the big man himself. 😀
Cheers Guv’.
A tough order to get anything out of tonights game I think. Bayern will be hurting from the way we beat them in the first leg and will be out to prove a point. With a full first team to choose from it would of been extreamly hard, the injuries to key players does nothing to lighten the load.
Still, can’t be having any of that logical thinking malarky….
COME ON YOU GUNNNERS!!!!! WIN, WIN, WIN!!!!
I remember the Debuchy of old at NUFC. He looked really good then and I was psyched when Arsenal bought him. Let’s have that version of him back tonight, please.
Alright, I’m with H2H … JC with a late goal for the Arsenal win. Hell Yeah!
Excellent script writing, H2H. I will have some of that!
Realistically though, one point coupled with our three in London would be something to build on if not crow about.
Homer, the script looks like it is yours. Sorry to have decredited you. JC to prove his critics wrong?
The first half decides the game. We stay in the game end of the first half, we can draw/win the game. We concede early, it maybe a bad scoreline, 3-4 goals.
I also am more worried about the injury aspect than the result. yes result matters but honestly we have a terrific first team and thats it. It is relatively early days into the season and we cannot afford to have any more injuries.
So with a prayer in my heart i say Come on You Gunners, make us proud and please no injuries.
Trev
That was the best dad joke ever!
Who’s the coolest man in the hospital? The ultra sound guy.
What about when he’s away on leave? The hip replacement guy.
BOOM
Oh and er, come on then you gunners!
Quite excited now.
Heh @ Porco.
COYG
Kos on the bench ? A surprise.
Joel gets his start and Reine Adelaide and Iwobi are subs.
One omen. In the youth League we beat Bayern 2-0 in London. So did the first team.
The youngsters have just drawn 1-1 in Munich.
I’d certainly take that result- and a similar one in Athens.
Kos rested as a precaution. One eye on Sunday probably.
Roger is doing his best to finish off Seppi before our game kicks off with a demolition job.
Can’t see us doing that to Bayern, a point would be a bonus but I suspect it will be a very difficult watch with our right side being targeted all game. Let’s hope the Dubuchy/Campbell axis stands up to the potential onslaught.
If we hold things together at the back then we might get away with a 0-1, Giroud getting the goal. If we crumble at the back then it could be an embarrassing score line.
COYRs
delia, the only thing i’ll add to your last is 1-1 is a definitely possible outcome, especially if we score first.
if we’re getting spanked, i say let’s put on the kids. a little of the jeff might stem the tide 🙂
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
aack. not a good first shot by our olivier.
a bit end to end, this so far.
shit.
Lewandowski.. we should sign him up!
arsenal are level!!!
yes!
fucking refs. not a handball if he’s got his hand against his body.
come on!
COMEEEEEE ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNn!
might be a wipe, this one. cech keeping us in it, just.
I’m genuinely impressed if we think we are able to rest players against Bayern????
Ref is shite!
that’s two. ugh.
Game over and good night.
Crap defending. A million players in the box and he still scores.
Fuck
Oh dear.
Time to watch something else… really weak from Cazorla
Zagreb’s up 1-0 in Greece so there’s that…
Not watching the game as I’m at work. Listening on the radio it sounds as if we are getting a bit of a chasing? Doesn’t sound too clever from us.
Poor defending on all goals to be honest, Gabriel played Lewa on for first, Per was not close enough to Muller for second and no one stepped against Alaba for third. I realize its hard against this Bayern side but those are the basics. Damage limitation for the second half with maybe odd shout from set piece..if this refree is ever going to give us a decision that is.
I’m surprised at how easy we give the ball away, not only the newcomers but even the senior players even when not under pressure. You have to hand it to Guardiola his teams are even more impressive without the ball it looks like all our players are under the spell.
bring on the kids for the second half…
Pity about the Giroud effort after 30 secs and the disallowed goal by Ozil BUT we have been completely over run by a far superior team on the night and things might get far worse.
Alexis has barely touched the ball so giving Jeff a go would at least be interesting.
@ Steve T: being honest it’s all Bayern so far they’re extremely aggressive and dynamic. We seemed to want to play for it at the beginning but they pushed us back and we’re not as disciplined as in the first leg. They were a bit lucky on the first two goals (on side by a hair and a deflection) and the third one was a typical bundesliga goal from 25 yards out.
We just don’t have an outball with nobody having pace in our side… Don’t concede for the next 25 minutes and put on the Jeff and Iwobi… Some pace is desperately neede…. What a horrible night that league cup game is proving to be now… Both our pace burners theo and Ox getting injured has hurt us terribly here. And a game like this one shows why the manager always plays Ramsey in the big games. His energy and ability to wriggle out of tight spaces reduces so much of the pressure on the team…
Exactly, without pace Bayern don’t fear us and can retain their shape with all their players in our own half. Our only hope is that they will tire at some point.
Thanks Matt. I have the game recorded. I will delete the first half then.
Diver on, a goal 30 seconds later. All he has to do is wander on our right side. We can take Debuchy and Campbell off it won’t make a difference honestly, none of them has an ounce of fight in them.
Campbell off for Gibbs, in hindsight the latter should have started.
Should have been 4:2 now
Brilliant goal Giroud!
Hey at least a consolation goal! 🙂
Best goal of the night by Giroud! So easy too.
COYG
That’s a cool finish from Giroud… His layoff for Santi few minutes ago was sublime too…He likes playing against bayern
COMEEEEEE ONNN
Debuchy makes a Bellerin-style last-ditch save! He can do it when he wants to 😉
Don’t worry lads Chelsea wont win either! 🙂
We are all over them? Debuchy does a Bellerin
Important factor is Cech was in goal both timesTrev and I will be bemoaning the fact that on top of all the other injuries we have gone into a game of this importance without our two best defenders.
Ramsey
Wilshere
Ox
Walcott
Bellerin
Koscielny
Plus Arteta
Ospina
Welbeck
Rosicky
Ten players injured. It’s happening all over again. No team on earth can win with ten players injured
I take it back now…
Why is Kos only on the bench? Have I missed something?
Olympiakos lead. We must avoid the Europa
And now Olympiakos scored, the disaster is complete.
Mountain to climb now I’m afraid Olympiakos won 2:1 against Dinamo…
Is Kos injured as well TTG?
Play the kids for exposure in the remaining CL games…..~!
Read that Kos got a knock in training. Hip or something.
TTG.
Out of your list above, if everyone was fit how many of those actually start? I would say two at most. Kos is on the bench so I’m not going to count him. Bellerin would have started although Debuchy should be a more than adequate replacement. The other is Ramsey. Theo has swapped with Ollie G but at the moment, none of the others start. Where our weaknesses are really highlighted is on the bench. There is no one there who you would say has the ability to change or influence the game.
Steve
according to Arsenal,Kos has a minor hip injury,quite why he is on the bench,well your guess is as good as mine.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 🙁
Is equal points solved by goal difference or head to head record? If it’s goal difference then tonight truly was a disaster.
That Olympiakos last-minute goal is a blow. Now we’ve gone from an eminently likely prospect of winning our last 2 games to qualify, to having to win by 2 goals in Olympiakos (assuming we beat Zagreb at home)…Bayern won 3-0 in Piraeus, but whether we can do that is a big ask.
Europa Lge possibly beckons. I’m not quite as cynical about that as other people. We won’t have to play the exhausting group stages. It’s just one extra knock-out tie than the Champions Lge. And it’s a trophy we have a much better chance of winning. I just wonder whether Thursday-Sunday is what we want while going for the title.
Perhaps let’s focus on beating Zagreb first before projecting too far ahead though!