Mikel Arteta has said Arsenal have the belief they can “create their own history” against Bayern Munich as they prepare for their first appearance in a Champions League quarter-final for 14 years.
Arsenal have suffered three successive 5-1 defeats against Bayern, losing 10-2 on aggregate in the last 16 in 2017, and have never beaten the German club in a knockout tie. But with Bayern’s fans banned from Tuesday’s first leg in London after throwing fireworks on to the pitch at Copenhagen and Lazio in the group stages, Arteta believes the Arsenal supporters could make the difference before a daunting trip to Munich for the second leg.
“I see the energy change in the players,” he said of the atmosphere at the Emirates this season. “Their belief, their body language, actually how much they are looking forward to it, how protected they feel. It’s like a cushion there to tell them, and a wind blowing on their backs, saying: ‘Go for it, we are right behind you.’ And you can sense it. When we are able to do that at home it is extraordinary. The changes, you feel things in your body, and [tonight] we have to feel that. We have to be ready for every ball.”
Asked about the legacy of those heavy defeats by Bayern, Arteta said: “It’s a lot of history. That’s their history and they have earned it. We have to create our own one.”
Arsenal face the six-time European champions on Tuesday after securing victories in 11 of their past 13 games to go top of the Premier League, with their only defeat this year coming against Porto in the first leg of the last round. Arteta’s side beat the Portuguese side on penalties at the Emirates – an experience their manager hopes they will draw on against Bayern.
“Those things generate belief and what we did with Porto and with the manner we’ve done it, you want to overcome those hurdles in this competition,” he said. “You are going to have magic moments. At a certain stage, at a certain moment, in the competition, in the tie, something exceptional has to happen. It has to go your way, you have to generate that momentum and in order for that to happen, you have to make it happen otherwise it’s not going to come. You have to provoke that and we will try to make that happen.”
Arteta has virtually a full squad, with Kai Havertz expected to continue in a central attacking role after excelling in Saturday’s win over Brighton that has left them above Liverpool on goal difference, and Gabriel Jesus again occupying a wide role. The Brazil forward – who described Bayern’s former Tottenham striker Harry Kane as the best finisher in the world – said he was happy to put his ego aside to help the team.
“I don’t want to come here and say Gabi doesn’t care about playing as a winger when his position normally is a 9,” Jesus said. “This part of the season you don’t complain. I never complain. When I get the chance I will show the manager and everyone else why I have to play. This part of the season I’ll put my ego aside and do what the manager wants to help the team. It’s not easy, not just for me but for Eddie [Nketiah] as well. Kai is having amazing games and scoring. That’s the price you pay if you want to be in a big club.”
