Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has now made a bold prediction about how Arsenal will fare in the Champions League.
Arsenal are set to take on Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The Gunners have not reached this stage of Europe’s elite club competition for 14 years. Arsenal have David Raya to thank for his penalty shootout heroics against Porto in the previous round.
Whilst the north London club laboured past the Portuguese outfit in the last 16, Mikel Arteta will believe that his side has what it takes to overcome the German giants. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher certainly believes that Arsenal can beat Bayern Munich.
Why Arsenal should be confident against Bayern Munich
In fact, a face-off against the Bavarian outfit may suit Arsenal better than their encounter with Porto did, at least from a tactical perspective. Whereas Porto were happy to sit deep, defend in numbers, and seek to frustrate the English side, Bayern Munich will come to play and take Arsenal on. This will create space for the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Gabriel Martinelli, amongst others, to try to exploit.
However, the Gunners must still be wary of the threat that their quarter-final opponents pose. Thomas Tuchel’s side have not been at their best domestically this season, but his squad is still stacked with quality. There is an argument that Bayern Munich outclass Arsenal on an individual, player-for-player basis.
The first leg of this tie will take place at the Emirates Stadium on April 9th. Arsenal will get another boost on that evening as Bayern Munich shall not be allowed to bring any of their own travelling fans with them to north London.
A rowdy, raucous atmosphere can be expected at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta called on the Arsenal fans to make plenty of noise for the visit of Porto, and he will expect the same passion and engagement from the stands on this occasion, too.
Darren Bent gives verdict on Arsenal chances in the Champions League
Darren Bent believes that the Gunners have a good reason to fancy their chances, but is wary of other challenges that may be yet to come. Speaking on The Ben Foster Podcast, the former forward said, “listen, over two legs – Bayern Munich with their no fans as well, when they come to the Emirates they can’t bring any fans, so that should stand them [Arsenal] in good stead – I think they’ll get past Bayern. But, having Real Madrid or Manchester City waiting for you, I think the winner will come from that side [of the draw]. That’s no disrespect to PSG and Barcelona, Atletico or Dortmund, but I just think the four teams on that side of the draw are better than the other.”
The winner of this quarter-final will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the semi-final, depending on which of those two clubs comes out on top in their own showdown. Manchester City are the reigning champions of Europe, whilst Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the competition.
If Arsenal reach the semi-final stage, they are already guaranteed to be underdogs.
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