Why Arsenal’s midfield can silence Bayern Munich at Emirates

Jack Wilshere is likely to feature in a more reserved role, especially considering the absence of the experienced Mikel Arteta. The young Englishman still has plenty to prove if he wishes to fulfill his suggested potential and these Champions League nights are without-doubt the highest stage at which he could display his pedigree.

He will certainly have his hands full against an opposition midfield that is likely to feature Toni Kroos and Mario Gotze. Despite scoring twice in the group stages he may be forced to play a more restrained role if Wenger sees a defensive style as the most appropriate approach. However, I don’t think this will be the case. Essentially the Gunners have nothing to lose against Bayern and, with the home advantage in the first leg, I would expect them to attack the German champions whenever possible.

Wilshere will act in a box-to-box role if this is the case, moving between attack and defence whenever a transition is required. He is usually strongest in a more advanced role and he will therefore be forced to adapt his game in order to counter Bayern.

Arsenal’s number ten will be the man to get the ball moving in the centre of the park for the Gunners and his efforts will prove influential if the London outfit are to get anything from the match. He favours a short passing game, much like the rest of the Arsenal midfield, and his ability to knock the ball past an opponent is vital for creating space in the centre of the park. He has completed 100 passes in Europe this season, having played just one full match, whilst he has found success in 59% of his attempted take ons.

Jack Wilshere Duels Won In CL

We have already witnessed the impact that Wilshere can have on this Arsenal side during his performance against Marseille before Christmas. He sank the French outfit with a fantastic double, following a somewhat lacklustre performance from the rest of his teammates. If the 22-year-old is able to impress against Bayern, Arsenal will be in with a shot at victory.

Mathieu Flamini could feature alongside Wilshere as the club’s deepest-lying midfielder. The 29-year-old’s experience has been invaluable throughout the current season and against Bayern the situation will be no different. He has been Arsenal’s best midfielder in Europe up until this stage, accumulating a Performance Score of 119 points during his four appearances.

His statistics make for impressive reading and having completed 90% of his passes he has proven himself as one of the Gunners’ more accurate and reliable players. Furthermore, his defensive work-rate will be a considerable asset, removing, at the very least, some of the pressure from the back four. So far this campaign he has averaged five Defensive Actions per match – the fourth highest total when compared to the rest of his teammates. He has also found success in 55% of his attempted tackles.

Arsenal went closer than anybody to knocking Bayern out of Europe last season, losing on away goals after a 2-0 win at the Allianz Arena. It would be outrageous to rule them out of contention – like many already have – at this early stage.

The Gunners may be lacking the vast number of world class names when compared to their opponents, however the club are more than capable of challenging the Champions of Europe. With Wilshere, Flamini and Ozil occupying the central channel, Wenger’s midfield could have the perfect balance between attack and defence.

With this in mind, we can only hope the Gunners will look to take the game to Munich, but one thing is for sure, we are in for an exciting week of European action.