Arsene Wenger will go all out to beat Bayern Munich as Arsenal manager prepares to go on the attack in Champions League gamble
- Arsenal beat Swansea City 3-0 at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday
- Now they travel to Bayern Munich in the Champions League in a tough test
- Arsene Wenger says his side will not sit back and look to grind out a draw
- Arsenal are at their best on the attack and will look to hurt the Germans
- Wenger says Arsenal's away form could be key to a Premier League push
- Champions League 2015-16: Latest news, scores, fixtures and highlights
Arsene Wenger is finding it a little easier to laugh about life at the moment.
The 'specialist in failure', to quote a rather less happy rival, was chuckling away in Swansea on Saturday evening as he explained his error in backing Australia to win the Rugby World Cup final.
'I'm a very good rugby connoisseur,' he said sarcastically. His next gamble is a bit more serious.
Arsene Wenger will send his Arsenal side out to attack Bayern Munich after their 3-0 win at Swansea City
Olivier Giroud netted Arsenal's opener at Swansea, and he could be in line for a big role up top in Bavaria
Wenger believes his side cannot reach their potential just defending, even though he would take a point
Bayern Munich await in Germany on Wednesday and defeat, with the consequences that might have for Champions League progress, would certainly take much of the wind from Wenger's sails. Therein lies a tricky decision.
A draw would be valuable and impressive, but the risk of playing for a point is such that Wenger has evidently made the choice of going on the attack against a team who have won 14, drawn once and lost only one in all competitions this season.
That their sole defeat was against Arsenal a fortnight ago may have emboldened Wenger's thinking, but there is plenty of logic in his conclusion that sitting back against Pep Guardiola's side would be a footballing death wish.
'I would sign today to take a point but to sit off Bayern,' Wenger said. 'But with their offensive quality, that would be difficult to maintain for 90 minutes. We have to relieve the pressure whenever we can and try to score goals. That is the structure of our team, to attack.
'If you get our players only to defend then I do not think we will be so efficient. We have to play every time we can.'
Words spoken with a little grin, but then this is not an Arsenal side wanting for confidence. Out of the criticisms of their summer recruitment and the persistency of injuries, Arsenal continue to gain pace as title challengers.
Arsenal will need to relieve the pressure put on them by Bayern's attacking talents by pushing forward
It may be impossible for the Gunners to simply focus on defending up against Arjen Robben and Co in Munich
The common suspicion, born from 12 years of hard evidence, is that once again the promise will fade away into a battle for a top-four spot. But after five straight league wins there is a strengthening feeling that Arsenal are a tougher bunch this season, as shown by the win at Swansea having twice lost to the same side in 2014-15.
Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Joel Campbell got the goals, each assisted by Mesut Ozil, but equal responsibility fell on Petr Cech and the back four, which kept a clean sheet under frequent pressure. They still gave up chances, as they did in winning 3-0 at Watford last month, but how often in recent years have Arsenal collapsed in such scenarios?
there is a strengthening feeling that Arsenal are a tougher bunch this season after their latest away win
Petr Cech and his backline have been key to making sure Arsenal do not crumble like their sides of old
'It was impressive because if you look at our away results since the start of the season, we have won at Crystal Palace and Watford, at Newcastle and at Swansea,' said Wenger. 'So it looks like the team has stabilised and is growing as a unit. So let's grow even more.
'We are certainly more stable defensively but that is from the start of January. If you look at the points we have taken from January 1, we have taken more points than anyone else.'
A strong back line will be needed this week if Wenger remains true to his word in Germany.
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