Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal remain in a “different universe” to European heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich given they have yet to win the Champions League.
The Premier League leaders head into their meeting with Bayern at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday having won all four matches so far in the league phase and are the only team yet to concede a goal.
The Bundesliga champions also have a 100% record in the competition and are the joint-top scorers with former Tottenham striker Harry Kane returning to north London having already found the back of the net 27 times for Bayern this season.
Arsenal reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the third time in their history last season before being knocked out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain and have only made it to the final once – in 2006 when they lost to Barcelona.
Asked whether they are already an elite European team or still need to prove it by beating six-time winners Bayern, Arteta said: “If you talk about performances and consistency, hopefully yes. But to consider that in terms of the trophies at that level, I mean, we have never won the Champions League in our history and Bayern Munich have won it six times. So, we are not there. Compared [also] with Real Madrid – they’re a different universe.”
Arteta revealed that strikers Viktor Gyökeres and Kai Havertz will have scans to determine if they could return from injury layoffs against Chelsea on Sunday and was hopeful captain Martin Ødegaard will be back against Bayern.
Kane has scored six times at the Emirates Stadium – more than any other visiting player – and was on target on his last visit during Bayern’s 2-2 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final in April 2024.
“I think he is an amazing striker, everyone knows that,” said Jurriën Timber. “He has so many qualities. He has been doing it for such a long time already, and now at Bayern Munich he has been one of the best players in the world. So, it is going to be a nice challenge for us as a team, as defenders, to stop him.”
Kane, whose contract at Bayern expires in June 2027, is of interest to Barcelona as a summer replacement for Robert Lewandowski and the England captain appeared to leave the door open to that possibility despite insisting he is happy in Germany.
“I haven’t had any contact with anyone, nobody has contacted me,” he told Bild. “I feel very comfortable in the current situation, even though we haven’t yet discussed my situation with Bayern. There’s no rush. I’m really happy in Munich. You can see that in the way I’m playing. If there’s contact, then we’ll see.
“But I’m not thinking about the new season yet. First up is the World Cup in the summer. And it’s very unlikely that anything will change after this season.”
Asked whether his all-round game has improved since leaving Spurs in 2023, Kane added: “The move has been one of the best decisions in my life. I’ve loved every moment of it. To experience a new league, to experience a team like Bayern Munich, have the European nights, have the atmospheres in the German league, just surround myself in different cultures, and different players, I think it’s been a great step in my career, I think it’s helped me evolve as a player, helped me improve as a player, and I think you’re seeing that side of me, right now.”
