Earlier Monday morning, Arsenal was drawn against defending European
Champions Bayern Munich for their first match of the knockout stages. This is
the second time in a row that Arsenal have been drawn against the European
Champions, having been eliminated by them due to away goals after an aggregate
score of 3-3. Now a full year has passed, and the question remains; Do the
Gunners have what it takes to knockout the defending European champions and
advance to the next round?
In all honesty, I truly believe Arsenal can be victorious
against Bayern. One thing people always seem to forget about Arsenal is the
squad’s chemistry the players have with one another. Yes the players may not be
the most skilled in the world, but they all play as one unit with the upmost
finesse and class. Last year’s clash between these two clubs proved to be the
case. Arsenal went in to Munich needing to score 3 goals to advance to the next
rounds. Sadly, they did not prevail, but what people seem to forget is how
close Arsenal came to toppling them last season and this being a time when
people thought the Gunners wouldn’t even make top four by the end of the
season.
Now if we fast forward to now, both teams have increased
their talents and skill considerably. The difference between the two however,
is the amount of increase in playing ability between the two. Yes Bayern have
been playing amazingly this season, however it is the Gunners who have made a
greater push to the start of their season as compared to last year, and have
the drive and momentum to go far. The newly developed chemistry and ability to
play under pressure really shows how much the squad has improved, especially
after a rebuilding process.
Everyone is showing their bias towards Bayern, and I can see
why, although I’m going to make a bold prediction and say that Arsenal will go
on through to the next round. The only reason why I say this would be the
revenge factor that the squad possesses. Having been knocked out by the German
side last season, Arsène Wenger’s players are going to give it their all to
show the world that Arsenal can play anyone and won’t be pushed around no
matter what squad they're playing.
The only thing that makes me worried would be the string of
matches that coincide with the first match at the Emirates. It pretty much
emulates the situation of the Napoli game, having a game on the weekend, one
during the week and another during the weekend, meaning they are playing 3
games in 7 days, which is never good for a thin squad. In all honesty, I
believe the club should play their best and treat the Champions League as an achievable
trophy, because you never know what will happen.
In terms of a prediction, I believe Arsenal will advance on
an aggregate score of 4-2, losing the first match 1-0 and winning the second
3-1 in the Allianz Arena. I know it is a bold prediction to say the least, but
there is something about this side that keeps surprising me every single match
they play and I wouldn’t mind to see Arsenal give the best fight of their
season against the team that ended hopes last season. Hopefully the Gunners will
prevail and the club will have a chance at winning their first Champions League
trophy. Just remember optimism is key when playing against a squad like Bayern,
and all supporters need to back up the players as best to their abilities to
ensure a victory and going through to the next round.
@ZachAFC
This content was produced exclusively for ZachAFC.blogspot.com and can be reproduced with attribution, please.
@ZachAFC
This content was produced exclusively for ZachAFC.blogspot.com and can be reproduced with attribution, please.
