Arsenal Defender Demands Aggressive Approach
Jurrien Timber has declared that Arsenal must adopt an 'aggressive' tactical approach when they face Bayern Munich in Wednesday's crucial Champions League encounter at the Emirates Stadium. The Dutch defender emphasised the importance of shutting down Bayern's dangerous attacking duo of Harry Kane and Michael Olise, both of whom have been in outstanding form this season.
Group Stage Showdown Looms Large
The two European giants currently occupy the top two positions in their Champions League group standings, with both teams maintaining perfect records after four matches, alongside Inter Milan. This sets up a tantalising clash in north London that could prove decisive in determining group supremacy.
Arsenal enter the match brimming with confidence following their emphatic 4-1 victory over bitter rivals Tottenham at the weekend, a result that strengthened their position at the Premier League summit. However, Timber remains fully aware of the significant challenge that awaits against the German champions.
Bayern Munich themselves are in formidable form, having demolished Freiburg 6-2 in their most recent Bundesliga outing. The match saw Olise score twice while Kane added another to his impressive tally, highlighting the potent threat they pose to Arsenal's defensive line.
Kane's Dominant Record Against Arsenal
Timber expressed particular concern about containing England captain Harry Kane, who brings an intimidating personal record against the Gunners. Kane has scored 15 times in 21 appearances against Arsenal dating back to his Tottenham days, and has already netted 24 goals across all competitions for Bayern this season.
'He's an amazing striker, everyone knows that,' Timber acknowledged. 'He has so many qualities, he's been doing it for such a long time already and now, at Bayern Munich, he's also being one of the best players in the world. It's going to be a nice challenge for us as a team as defenders to stop him tomorrow.'
The defender stressed that containing Kane wouldn't fall solely on Arsenal's backline, emphasising the collective defensive responsibility throughout the team. 'If you look at our performance against Tottenham then we scored three goals, but, defensively, it was amazing as well,' he explained. 'It's the whole team that's trying to step up and do a bit more.'
Personal Battle and Room for Improvement
Timber is likely to face direct competition from Michael Olise and admitted the former Crystal Palace winger presents a 'very tough' challenge. 'Every week, every game, there's someone again that is very tough to defend against,' he said. 'Luckily, I'm not on my own on the pitch, we do it as a team. I'll just try to be aggressive and always focus on my defensive part first.'
Despite Arsenal's impressive form this campaign, Timber insists there remains significant room for improvement both individually and collectively. 'It's about staying humble, approaching the game calmly but also aggressive,' the Netherlands international continued. 'Sunday against Tottenham was an amazing game but there are so many things that, personally, I know I can do better.'
The defender also highlighted the importance of Arsenal's squad culture in driving performance levels. 'It's also about the environment I'm in and the culture we have here. Everyone is trying to push each other,' Timber noted. 'We have a big squad so we have to push each other but we're also trying to win something.'
Arsenal will be hoping to break an unwelcome streak against Bayern, having not beaten the German side since October 2015, when Olivier Giroud and Mesut Özil secured a 2-0 victory at the Emirates.
