Per Mertesacker has challenged his Arsenal teammates to destroy Bayern Munich’s possession game and claimed the reigning European champions are even better under Per Guardiola despite being ‘almost perfect’ last year.
Under Jupp Heynckes stewardship ‘FC Hollywood’ not only secured the Champions League but also a domestic Double which saw them feted as the best team in the world.
Accepting that the Gunners face a tough task beating the Bavarians over two legs, despite recording a sensational win in the Allianz Arena back in March, Mertesacker outlined his aims for tomorrow night.
“Bayern were very strong last year, they achieved everything, they got the treble and were very sharp and almost the perfect team,” he told Arsenal Player.
“But with Guardiola in charge, they look even sharper. They look to get even more possession, which is nearly impossible but he has put something in, that Barca style. I think they have improved this season on what they are doing so it will be a really tough one and demands a lot from our side – mainly defensively.
“Can we cope with that possession, can we cope with their qualities? They don’t just have 11 players, they have nearly two teams who can compete on a Champions League level, so they are the toughest opponent you can get in Europe.
“We know their players quite well so that will be interesting for us. We know each other but we need to think about our team shape and how we can destroy their possession.”
Last year the Gunners found themselves 2-0 down at the Emirates inside 20 minutes in a disastrous start which ended up proving to big a mountain to climb.
Insisting that his side will be ready this time (although he did say the same thing before we went 4-0 down inside 18 minutes against Liverpool) the boss told his pre-game press conference how much every minute counts.
“It is important [to make a fast start] because every minute counts in a game of this stature and we are conscious of that and we’ll try to start very strongly. We have big home strengths recently because we don’t give goals away and that will certainly be vitally important in this tie.”
If we at least draw this game,it then really means our fortune has definitely turned on its head. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we become a really big surprise this season. #COYG
One conjecture, and one sentence that turns on itself. You’re not in your usual form.
Aren’t we already a surprise?
Am talking ‘the double’ kinda surprise. But I get what you mean of course. Cheers.
not exactly. a 1-1 or 2-2 draw is not in our favour again. we should try our best to not let them score any away goals at all. i hope ox is playing. he’s in form.
much as I like us to get a good result tomorrow the Sunderland game holds as much importance. Need to be quick off the blocks tomorrow. A draw and I would be really happy.
If you wish for a draw, at least ask for a 0-0.
I’d ask for a 1-0.
COYRR.
nil-nil is honestly the best we can hope for…i really can’t stand the aggregate system (wish it was done away with). most likely because we were on the losing end of it last year. but beating a club who didn’t allow goals at home and keeping a clean sheet to boot, we should have been through on that merit alone!
According to stats, a 1-0 win in the first leg at home, nearly always means going through the next round.
Fingers, hearts, balls…whatever crossed…COYGUNNNNERRRSSS!
We’d need a massive team effort to get the win tomorrow night.
Last season we were essentially out of the tie before the first half was even over.
Not conceding early is going to be key.
Cant have us fall apart inside 20mins like the other weekend at Anfield.
Its going to be a great match, its what Champions League Football is all about, seeing what we’re made of against the ‘best team in the world’
Bang up for it.
COYG
The boys just need to remember that last year they were equal to Bayern. It really was 3-3…most people do not remember it clearly or don’t want to believe it to be true (just think of the media and their treatment of Arsenal…most wont’ even speak the truth…those cowards). Last year’s Arsenal squad WERE the equal of Bayern in their Champion’s League draw. BTW, why doesn’t a shutout of the home club constitute a trump of away goals?? COYG this year is no different! P.S. To all my brethren the “negative” Gooners, please hear this, we know we have weaknesses.… Read more »
I dream of Wilshere having a Barcelona at home 2011-esque game. Someone is going to have to step up and have a career-best performance if we want to shock the world. It would have been the ultimate coming out party for Ramsey if the injury-gods weren’t on Abramovic payroll.
That bloody Ramsey injury is getting on my nerves. He adds so much to the team!
Jack’s at his best (as in that match against Barca) when he’s tactically disciplined and plays quick one-touch football. People can’t hang with him when he’s playing like that. When he tries to do too much, tries to ‘fight the world’ as Paddy Barclay put it, he looks ordinary. Hoping for Jack on top of his game tomorrow night. I’m fucking excited. Come on boys, make us proud.
0-0 , 1-0, 1-1. All fine. We just can’t allow them to score more than 1.
1-1 is actually a bad result because of the retarded away goals rule.
Will butthead (ribery) miss the away leg too
Hopefully there’ll be not much possession to “destroy”. We cannot get our game going without possession, and we inevitably will be fucked if they keep it long enough.
I agree with you, but may I also remind you that according to my memory (which IS faulty) the game we won at the Allianz and I think this year’s that we won in Dortmund were short on posession and chances. We played that dementor spongelike absorption game that we can play some times… FCBvARS 0-2 54%/46% On-target 8/3 Off-target 13/2 …the other stats are similar BVBvARS 0-1 54%/46% On-target 5/3 Off-target 9/2 …same So, we can either play our Joie de Vivre Arsenal or our Dementor’s Kiss Arsenal we can win. It just has to be our game, our… Read more »
they will shade possession — something we’ve struggled with recently, to be honest. so maintaining defensive shape and countering quickly are key. that and not turning the ball over cheaply in the center of midfield. i’d like to see rosicky start over wilshere for that reason.
They’ll dominate possession without a doubt, but I don’t think that matters too much. If we can keep defensively sound, our quality on the ball will be enough to give us a fair shout at a result.
Saying that, we actually haven’t been that great on the ball recently. Against Liverpool we looked more promising – playing at a much faster tempo and looking more decisive and more dynamic in possession. We need to come out of the blocks raring and get an early goal to settle the nerves a bit, then just make sure we take our chances. We took them close last year, hopefully we can do them over this year with a bit of luck. Up the Arse!
Come on Arsenal, bring all your guns. I know you will make it.COYG!
BFG so on point, pls take that to the pitch, I believe in u.
As arseblog rightfully advocates correct spelling of words, I thought I’d point out a small mistake 3 paragraphs from the end: “a mountain TOO big to climb”.
And COYG! We can do this. And Bayern are long overdue a hick up.
Ribery is out, and maybe Mandzukic aswell. So could have been worse. But we are lacking in Firepower, so dont think attacking football is a good idea. Better to try and hurt them on the counter in my opinion. I hope Podolski gets some more Faith from the Manager soon. Compared to minutes played, only Suárez scores more goals than Poldi in the whole league. But Poldi is alot more efficient and dont need as many chances Per goal as Suárez. Anyways, We should get some Spitfires to do a fly over at the Emirates to welcome Ze Germans. 🙂… Read more »
We’re gonna Muller their Germans with our Germans… Up Die ArseSchaft!
@Rocky Rocastle Yeh, some Spitfires, Hurricanes and some of those captured German planes we’ve got: Ozil Me 109, Gnabry Me 109, Podolski Me 262 and our BFG Stuka Ju 87 Mertesacker.
Can’t really argue with what the BFG is saying. I know Wenger prefers the “let’s play the way we always do” approach, but in this particular case I really think disrupting their play is the key to success. We’re not likely to play them off the park, but that doesn’t mean we can’t grind out a result.
Per Guardiola?
I read the headline as “we need to destroy Bayern Munich” I totally concur. Someone made the analogy of Bayern being the Death Star and Dortmund being the leaders of the Rebel Alliance in Germany. That is very fitting. We’ve beaten “the best team in the world” before. The 2-1 win over Barca in 2011, the 2-0 win at Bayern last season. We are much better now and although I wouldn’t bet on us winning, it will definitely be much closer this time around. Come on Arsenal, lets gun down those cunts. We can’t forget them letting United win the… Read more »
We hv to go for th win first an foremost an if we hv to play for th draw then we play for it but we cn just seat back an play dat,th manager has frith in th players but do der hv frith in dem self.am not just an arsenal fun supporter am a family a player so if we want to be champion we hv to play for th win coz win win games thats what will make as champion. We ar gunners from day one no gave as any chance but we ar very gud so far… Read more »
Yes, fucking destroy them! Remember their cunt-ious ‘keeper hoarding the ball, remember their arrogance at the Emirates…. rememb….ok, grabbing my coat now.
Sagna and Gibbs will get raped.
gem of a person you are
But they don’t like it up em !!!
Shere wil power Kos it needs to be Flamin Perfect evening at Emirates this time with ox in the box #COYG
Never could be a better time for Jacky to bring out his 2011 boots, with ozil and chambo powering down the channels, flamini charging down the slightest sniff of Bavarian space, giroud rediscovering the first touch and his killer instinct, Wenger pumping his fists with that magnificent smile of his plastered from ear to eat. Psyched! COYG!
Ozil, Wilshere and Cazorla please don’t lose the ball in the middle.
Mertesacker and Koscielny please be alert to the through passes.
Arteta please do more of your clever tackles.
Giroud please win more air balls and give them to Ozil or Cazorla.
Gibbs and Sagna please watch your back.
You explain me why this guy got thumbs down. He states something that makes sense, doesn’t he ? Some people ….
Another thing we will need to do is transition quickly (as we did against Liverpool)
A speedy outlet in Chamberlain or Gnabry (preferably Ox) and possibly Podolski later on could be the key to hurting the Germans.
They need to know that every time they come at us, we can hurt them at the back.
Yes Santori, and we need to be as clinical as we were against this ball thieving scamps to stand a chance.
Think tonight I’d prefer a 0-0 to a 2-1. Playing away 2nd is such a massive advantage IF you don’t concede.
As someone who speaks German, I imagine the BFG did not mean ‘destroy’ – I guess he was translating the German word ‘zerstören’ – which does literally mean ‘destroy’ (which is why he used it) but in the context, we would probably say ‘disturb their rhythm’ or something.
i don’t want bayern to score any goal…it has to be 1-0,2-0 or 0-0 if we want to be alive