MIKEL ARTETA COULD MAKE FIVE ARSENAL CHANGES FOR BAYERN MUNICH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLASH

 

Myles Lewis-Skelly could be recalled to the Arsenal starting line-up (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Arsenal have won both of the Champions League games they have played this season but on Wednesday face one of the tournament favourites in Bayern Munich.

An away win at Napoli was followed by a 3-0 victory over Lille at Emirates Stadium last week but Mikel Arteta now must try and navigate past the German giants at the Allianz Arena. Speaking after Sunday's 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, Arteta called on his team to be ready.

"I think it depends on the game and the way the opposition wants to play," the Gunners boss said on grinding out results. "Today was a different one to Lille, and will be extremely different to three days’ time against Bayern Munich, which will be 96 minutes man-to-man, and let’s go. But we adapt, learn, and try to make the margins bigger."

Vincent Kompany will want a response from his team after they could only draw to Viking FK last week. The Bundesliga side did smash five goals past Bodo/Glimt on the opening matchday, though, but will be without Michael Olise against Arsenal after he was sent off against Viking.

Noni Madueke fired Arsenal to glory against Nottingham Forest

Bayern have had one extra day of rest as they played on Saturday, with Luis Diaz netting a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout of RB Leipzig. Arteta may want to freshen things up then and that could start at right-back. Ben White started Sunday's vital win at the City Ground but could take his place on the bench if Jurrien Timber is fancied from the start.

It will be interesting to see if Riccardo Calafiori is also given a rest. The Italian played the whole 90 minutes in Nottingham but Myles Lewis-Skelly could come in at left-back. The Hale Ender impressed against Lille and would offer fresh legs given he did not come off the bench at the weekend.

In midfield, it was Bruno Guimaraes, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard from the off in Nottingham. You would think Martin Zubimendi starts, possibly for Guimaraes, as Arteta may want to keep Rice and Odegaard in the team given their experience and quality.

Moving to the front three, Bukayo Saka will most definitely start and Noni Madueke has probably done enough to start on the left given his heroics against Forest. It's a toss up between Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz for the striker role and the Swede may just edge it given he has started the two previous Champions League matches.

Possible Arsenal team to face Bayern Munich (changes from Nottingham Forest in bold): Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Madueke.

- Sam Truelove