Arsenal face the daunting prospect of facing Bayern Munich, who have been almost unbeatable this season, in the last 16 of the Champions League. However, the Gunners do have the players capable of creating an upset, and there will be a few battles that will be key to either side progressing to the quarterfinals.
Here is a look at the key battles which will make a difference in the game.
Thomas Vermaelen vs Thomas Muller: Vermaelen is expected to fill in at left-back and this game will be the Arsenal skipper's biggest test in a position he is not too fond of playing in. Vermaelen is not having the best of seasons, constantly making mistakes, and Muller, who has been absolutely brilliant, will look to take full advantage with Philipp Lahm also posing a threat on the overlap, which Lukas Podolski will need to be aware of. Arjen Robben will also be a threat late on when he comes as a substitute.
While Franck Ribery vs Bacary Sagna will be an interesting battle, the other wing might prove more crucial.
Jack Wilshere vs Bastian Schweinsteiger: Both players are the heartbeat of their teams, the ones that make their sides tick. Schweinsteiger is much more experienced and has seen everything before, so he will definitely not be too daunted about the game at the Emirates.
Wilshere, though, is also one for the big occasion, as shown in the game against Barcelona a couple of seasons ago, where he ran the midfield against his more illustrious opponents. The player that controls the game will have a big say on the outcome of the tie.
Santi Cazorla vs Javi Martinez and Mikel Arteta vs Toni Kroos: The defensive midfield vs attacking playmaker battle is always a joy to watch. It will be interesting to see whether Martinez, who is expected to be fit for the game, can stop his Spanish international teammate from spraying those passes and finding those little pockets of space to work in.
The same goes for Kroos and Arteta. While Arteta is not your typical physically imposing, tackling defensive midfielder, he reads the game very well and not allowing the supply line to Kroos might just be the difference maker in the game.
Lukas Podolski vs Philipp Lahm: Podolski might just have to do a lot more defending than he would like in this game, and how well he tracks back to protect his left-back will be a major deciding factor, because the marauding runs of his international skipper is extremely potent and dangerous.
Lahm, though, will also need to be on alert, because as he will well know, Podolski has the quality to not just pick out the right ball, but also to pop in from nowhere and find the back of the net.
Theo Walcott vs Bayern's defense: Without putting too much pressure on Walcott, this just might be the time for the 23-year-old to step up and show that he is worthy of taking over the throne from Thierry Henry, which Arsenal fans have been hoping he will do for so long, and which he has shown signs of doing over the course of this season.
Much will depend on where he plays, if he plays on the right, those runs in between the fullback and the central defense will be crucial to unlocking the extremely stubborn Bayern defense. If he starts down the middle, Bayern will have to be wary of holding a high line against the pace of Walcott, with Wilshere and Cazorla able to create an opening in the blink of an eye.
Walcott has not really been taking his chances every time it has been presented, and against Bayern there will not be too many, so making use of every single one will be absolutely crucial for the Gunners.
