Mikel Arteta has admitted Bayern Munich, Arsenal’s Champions League opponents on Wednesday night, are still in a “different universe” from the ambitious Gunners.
It will be a meeting of second vs. first in the league phase standings at the Emirates Stadium, two of the most in-form teams across Europe who have walked their respective domestic leagues so far.
Arsenal are the only team yet to concede in the Champions League so far this season, but they will be severely tested by a Bayern side that has averaged 3.5 goals per game through the opening four matchdays and is spearheaded by Harry Kane.
“Every opponent brings different challenges,” Arteta mused in the buildup.
“They are in a great moment. The level of consistency they show in resource, performance, in every metric that they have, it’s very, very impressive. We know that, but that’s a massive opportunity as well for us to show what we are capable of.”
Arteta was asked during the prematch proceedings if victory over Bayern would cement Arsenal’s place as one of European football’s elites. Based on current form alone, the Spaniard agreed, yet suggested the Gunners have a long way to go when it comes to history in the competition.
“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 won six,” Arteta explained to reporters. “We are nothing compared to Real Madrid, they’re a different universe. So, we’re going to get there.”
To date, Arsenal have been closest in 2006, losing finalists against Barcelona in Paris, having taken the lead early on but succumbing to an eventual 2–1 comeback after playing more than half the game with 10 players. Real Madrid are the most successful club in the history of the European Cup/Champions League, lifting the trophy 15 times—the equivalent of 21% of all-time triumphs in the competition. Bayern are joint third on the list, tied with Liverpool for six trophy lifts.
Most Successful Clubs in European Cup/Champions League
Arsenal Enjoy ‘Really Good Preparation’ for Bayern Munich
Arsenal have faced Bayern Munich 14 times over the years but have lost more than half (eight) of those fixtures. The Gunners have been beaten in four of the last five alone, including three successive 5–1 maulings between 2015–17. The most recent of three victories came in October 2015, when late goals from Olivier Giroud and Mesut Özil equated to a 2–0 group stage triumph.
Arteta said that Arsenal’s “intention to win” this game is the same as it was before thrashing Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby over the weekend.
“We’ve had a really good preparation again, a really short one, but we’ve been very efficient as well,” he said. “We know the importance of the match, we are in a really strong position, we want to maintain that for sure and we know that we have a beautiful and very demanding game ahead of us.
“This is the kind of game in the competition that we want to face, and we’ve been very consistent in both competitions; they have been as well, and tomorrow is a great test for us to see where we are.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Different Universe’—Mikel Arteta Makes Sweeping Arsenal, Bayern Munich Comparison.
