Arsene Wenger wants fast start from Arsenal
The German giants come to the Emirates Stadium tonight in imperious form, having just set a record for the best start to a domestic season with their ninth consecutive Bundesliga victory.
Pep Guardiola’s men have also dominated the European campaign, with a 100% record from both Group F matches so far, netting eight times without reply.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have suffered successive defeats from their first two Champions League fixtures to sit bottom of the table and facing a battle to qualify for the last 16.
However, domestically the Gunners continue to impress, following up the demolition of Manchester United, when they netted three times in the opening 20 minutes, with a hard-earned 3-0 win at Watford to sit second in the Premier League table, just two points behind Manchester City.
Wenger knows he must get the balance right to night as Arsenal look for the victory to keep alive hopes of qualification, but also pay Bayern, the 2012/13 European Cup winners, their due respects.
“You can consider the teams who win the Champions League are the best in the world because most of the time they win after the World Cup of the clubs in recent years,” he said.
“However, there is no team without weaknesses.
“What we want to do tomorrow is win the game. We want to defend well, attack well, score the first goal, that is massively important in the big games,” he said..
“You can never promise you will score three goals in 20 minutes because that would be absolutely crazy.
“What we can do is start in a strong way and that is what we will try to do.”
Wenger feels Arsenal need to show a completely different attitude from when they were beaten away by Dinamo Zagreb on matchday one and then slumped to a 3-2 home defeat by Olympiacos.
“We have some ground to make up in Europe as we have not been at our requested level in our first two games,” said Wenger, who will have centre-back Gabriel available again following illness, but goalkeeper David Ospina has a shoulder injury.
“Our focus has been much stronger in the Premier League than it has been in Europe and we know in this game the focus needs to be exactly the same as in the Premier League.
“I must say we have our backs to the wall and we play against a top, team, so I can understand the scepticism of people, but we have to prove them wrong.”
Wenger knows Arsenal must shackle in-form Robert Lewandowski if the Gunners are to prevail.
The Poland striker has plundered 15 goals in his last seven appearances for club and country.
“First the best way to combat him is for us to have the ball, and after that you have to be shrewd with him,” said Wenger.
“Inside the box he is outstanding, because his technique, his finishing, his movement inside the box, that is where we need the experience of (Per) Mertesacker and (Laurent) Koscielny to deal with that because that will be one of the important things on the night.”
Wenger will not allow his squad to be over-awed by the achievements of Bayern, who have knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League in the last 16 stage for the past two seasons.
“We don’t look at the history. We look at the potential performance on the day, that is what we try to do.
“After that the history doesn’t play the game,” he said.
“What will decide the game is the performance we produce, and that comes from if we believe that we can do it.”
Meanwhile, Wenger accepts there is little chance of the defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb against a “doped” opponent being overturned.
After Dinamo Zagreb’s 2-1 victory, it emerged Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Arijan Ademi had failed a drug test.
The 24-year-old, who played the full 90 minutes, is now subject to Uefa disciplinary proceedings and is set to have his B sample tested, the result of which has not yet been made public.
If that is positive also, then Macedonia international Ademi — who also played in the 5-0 defeat away to Munich on September 29 — could be face a suspension. However, there are no sanctions against clubs from governing body Uefa unless two or more players fail doping tests.
Wenger has been left less than impressed by the whole saga.
“We didn’t perform well in the first two games, we were a bit unlucky as well, having watched the games again,” he said. “When I saw that the players of Zagreb were doped... when you don’t play at your best and your opponent is doped, it is difficult.”
Wenger continued: “Well the rules are the rules and I cannot change that. I don’t think the result is really under any threat. We have to wait now to wait and see what comes out of the second (doping) control (test).”
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