Why Bayern Munich will beat Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League
Unbeaten this season, boasting a favourable record against Arsenal and with North London specialist Harry Kane leading the charge, Bayern Munich will be quietly confident of chalking up another UEFA Champions League win on Wednesday.
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It's one more stern challenge for Vincent Kompany's side, but the Bavarian giants have just what it takes to extend their 100 percent record in this season's Champions League.
For Bayern, there are so many memorable nights of European glory against the Gunners to look back on. As recently as the 2023/24 campaign, the record Bundesliga champions drew 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium en route to reaching the Champions League semi-finals.
Kane and former Arsenal man Serge Gnabry were on target for Bayern on that occasion, while Joshua Kimmich scored the only goal in the return fixture at the Allianz Arena.
Kane's first-leg goal that season was the 15th he has scored against Arsenal in 21 games against the Premier League team for Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern. Indeed, back in his Spurs days, King Kane was the record marksman in North London derbies with 14 goals and three assists in 19 appearances.
The 32-year-old England international has posted similarly eye-watering numbers so this season, with 14 goals in the Bundesliga, five in the Champions League and five in domestic cup competition. Spread over his 18 appearances, that's a goal every 0.75 games.
Go back a little further than that aforementioned success against Arsenal, and you will find a whopping 10-2 aggregate win that included a 5-1 rout on English soil in the 2016/17 round of 16.
All told, Bayern's record against their upcoming opponents stands at eight wins and three draws in 14 meetings in European competition and includes a run of four victories in the teams' last five encounters.
If past results can help inspire Bayern, current form is also firmly with Kompany & Co., who have outscored their opponents 41 to 20 in the league and 14 to 11 in Europe.
The runaway Bundesliga leaders have yet to lose in 18 games in all competitions in 2025/26, dropping points just once. That streak includes a 16-game winning run - a European record - and Champions League victories against Chelsea, Pafos, Club Brugge and holders Paris Saint-Germain.
"It takes a lot to beat us at the moment," captain Manuel Neuer said recently, with the tireless Joshua Kimmich - Bayern's midfield metronome - adding, "The belief is always there in our minds."
In a further insight into what Der Rekordmeister might try to do against Arsenal, coach Kompany has said of his approach: "It's also about taking away the opposition's momentum."
A factor that could affect Arsenal's impetus is the absence of their star defender and goal outlet Gabriel, who was recently sidelined with an injury sustained while on international duty with Brazil.
Arsenal's defence has been rightly praised as one of the cornerstones of the team's success this season, but the same can be said of Bayern, who have no such injury concerns at the heart of the back four.
As much as the likes of Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz - the latter suspended for the trip to London - have been firing up top, the recently formed partnership of Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano has been key to Bayern shutting teams out at the other end of the pitch. The Bavarians have kept a league-high six clean sheets in the Bundesliga and conceded just three goals in four Champions League fixtures.
From back to front, Bayern have what it takes to make it another night to remember in London on Wednesday, a game that could see the six-time European champions add to an already impressive record against the Gunners and make a huge step towards automatic qualification for the knockout rounds.
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