Arsenal in need of boost against Bayern

Never before have Arsenal FC lost both opening group stage fixtures and their task is unlikely to get any easier when they welcome FC Bayern München to north London.

Previous meetings
• Bayern have won on their last two visits to the Arsenal Stadium, which were both round of 16 first-leg assignments. In 2013/14 goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller gave Bayern a 2-0 success, the return ending 1-1.

• The lineups for the game on 19 February 2014 were:
Arsenal: Szczęsny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs (Monreal 31), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Rosický 74), Flamini, Wilshere, Santi Cazorla (Fabiański 39), Özil, Sanogo.
Bayern: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng (Rafinha 46), Dante, Alaba, Javi Martínez, Kroos, Thiago Alcántara (Pizarro 79), Götze, Robben, Mandžukić (T Müller 64).

• Müller had also scored in the previous season's contest at the Arsenal Stadium which ended 3-1 to the visitors, setting up an away-goals success despite Arsenal's 2-0 win in Germany.

• Arsenal have won only one of their four home games against Bayern, recording a 1-0 success in the 2004/05 round of 16 – they still went out, having lost 3-1 in Germany.

Match background

Arsenal
• The 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in last season's group stage ended Arsenal's four-game losing run at home to German sides. Their home record against German clubs is W10 D1 L5; overall it is W15 D6 L11.

• The Gunners' 18th successive group stage campaign began with a 2-1 defeat at GNK Dinamo Zagreb, a second defeat following in London two weeks later when Olympiacos FC won 3-2.

• That home reverse means the Gunners have lost six and won five of their last 12 home games in the competition proper.

• Last term they reached the last 16 for the 15th successive season but were eliminated at that stage for the fifth consecutive campaign. They lost 3-1 at home against AS Monaco FC and won 2-0 away.

Bayern
• The 3-2 defeat at Manchester City FC in last season's group stage was Bayern's first reverse in five visits to England in which they had won three and drawn one. Their overall record away to English teams is W5 D8 L7.

• Bayern scored eight goals with no reply in their first two fixtures, winning 3-0 at Olympiacos and 5-0 at home to Dinamo.

• The German title holders, who are in their 19th group stage campaign, reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the fourth time in a row last term, going out against FC Barcelona (0-3 away, 3-2 home).

Coach and player links
• Per Mertesacker scored SV Werder Bremen's goal in a 3-1 home defeat against Bayern on 29 January 2011. After Arjen Robben's equaliser, the defender's own goal put Bayern 2-1 in front. During five years in Bremen, Mertesacker faced Bayern 16 times, winning only two.

• Tomáš Rosický scored 20 goals in 149 Bundesliga games for Dortmund between 2001 and 2006, winning the title in 2001/02.

• Mesut Özil is a Germany team-mate of Manuel Neuer, Jérôme Boateng, Thomas Müller, Holger Badstuber and Mario Götze. Mertesacker and Philipp Lahm were also colleagues before retiring from international football.

• Robben scored in Chelsea FC's 2-0 win at Arsenal on 18 December 2005. In his three years at Stamford Bridge, Robben faced the Gunners on four occasions and never lost.

• Müller scored in Germany's 2-1 win in a Paris friendly on 6 February 2013 against a France team who included Ribéry, Koscielny and Olivier Giroud. Lahm, Mertesacker and Özil played for the visitors.

• Giroud scored in France's 2-1 friendly win in Bremen on 29 February 2012 against a Germany team who included Boateng, Özil, Müller and Neuer. Ribéry also played for the visitors.

• Petr Čech faced Bayern six times while with AC Sparta Praha and Chelsea, his most notable success coming in Chelsea's 2012 UEFA Champions League triumph in the Fußball Arena München.

• In extra time Čech saved Robben's penalty and in the shoot-out repelled efforts from both Ivica Olić and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Müller had put Bayern ahead with seven minutes remaining of normal time.

• International team-mates:
Ribéry & Mathieu Debuchy, Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Mathieu Flamini (France)
Javi Martínez, Xavi Alonso, Juan Bernat, Thiago Alcántara & Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal (Spain)
Arturo Vidal & Alexis Sánchez (Chile)

Match facts

Arsenal
• Giroud is available, having been suspended for the visit of Olympiacos on matchday two.

• The Gunners marked their 250th game at Arsenal Stadium by defeating Manchester United FC 3-0 on 4 October. Their record at the ground is: W170 D52 L28 F536 A191.

• Arsenal's clean sheet against United was their first in six matches in all competitions. They managed another in a 3-0 win at Watford FC on Saturday.

• Alexis Sánchez scored twice in Chile's 4-3 FIFA World Cup qualifying victory over Peru on 13 October and one more at Watford – he has registered ten goals in his last six outings for club and country

• Alex Iwobi, 19, signed a new "long-term contract" on 6 October.

• Iwobi, yet to make a senior appearance for the north Londoners, made his debut for Nigeria on 8 October, coming on in a 2-0 friendly defeat by DR Congo.

• Cazorla was on target twice in Spain's 4-0 success against Luxembourg on 9 October, his first goals for club or country since 21 February.

• Jack Wilshere sustained a hairline fracture to his left fibula in early August. He underwent surgery last month and is not expected to return until January.

• Danny Welbeck, who has not played since 26 April because of a knee injury, had an operation on 3 September.

Bayern
• Bayern's 1-0 victory at Werder Bremen on Saturday made them the first team ever to win their opening nine Bundesliga games in a season.

• Bayern have recorded 12 successive wins since beginning the season by drawing 1-1 with VfL Wolfsburg in the German Super Cup, a fixture they subsequently lost on penalties.

• Josep Guardiola's team have scored five goals in a match on four occasions this term, most recently against Dortmund (5-1) on 4 October.

• Robben has been out since 3 September with an adductor injury and, though he is available again, is not in the squad to travel to London.

• Götze was ruled out for ten to 12 weeks after rupturing a tendon in his groin during Germany's UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying loss to the Republic of Ireland on 8 October.

• Medhi Benatia (22 August, thigh) is still sidelined. Ribéry (11 March, ankle), Badstuber (21 April, thigh) and Jan Kirchhoff (June, Achilles tendon) are yet to play this term. Kirchhoff was an unused substitute on Saturday.

• Robert Lewandowski was the 13-goal top scorer in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying, equalling the record set by Northern Ireland's David Healy.

• The Poland striker is enjoying a sensational spell of form, having registered 15 goals in his last seven appearances for club and country.

• Benatia is among the 37 nominees for the 2015 African Footballer of the Year award.