Bayern Munich against Arsenal stands as the marquee match of Wednesday’s Champions League programme, and it is easy to see why. Between them, the two clubs offer a remarkable spread of talent, even if injuries and suspensions trim the field of available stars.

With that in mind, here is a fresh look at a combined XI drawn only from the players available for selection, and Arsenal just about come out on top.

In goal, David Raya earns the nod. Manuel Neuer has been carrying a foot injury and remains doubtful, but even if he were fully fit, Raya’s recent level has been enough to place him in most mixed teams. Neuer remains the classic stopper, exceptional at the one job he is there to do, but Raya’s consistency gives Arsenal the edge.

At right-back, Jurrien Timber gets the call ahead of Konrad Laimer. Timber has established himself as one of the game’s top full-backs, and he arrives with the confidence of an assist against Lille in this competition last time out.

Gabriel is an automatic inclusion at centre-back. Arsenal’s defensive structure has been built around him, and he continues to deliver the blend of power, athleticism and technique that makes him such a difficult opponent. Alongside him, Dayot Upamecano is elevated by Vincent Kompany’s influence, with his form now strong enough to place him in the conversation at the very highest level.

On the left, Riccardo Calafiori edges Alphonso Davies. Calafiori’s game has opened up this season, and he is now contributing at both ends rather than only defending.

Joshua Kimmich anchors the midfield with his usual control, while Declan Rice is included after his standout display when these sides met last season, helping Arsenal to a 3-1 win. Aleksandar Pavlović completes the engine room after quietly becoming a major figure in Bayern’s possession game.

Bukayo Saka takes the wing spot, while Michael Olise would have been a strong contender but is suspended. In attack, Harry Kane is the obvious choice. He remains the best striker in the world and has nine goals in 10 games this season, a total that would satisfy most forwards, even if it sits a little below his own standards.

A new book has claimed that Mikel Arteta was only one of at least eight serious options Arsenal examined when they went looking for a successor to Unai Emery in 2019.

The club were in an unusual position after spending 22 years with one manager, then needing a second permanent appointment in less than 18 months. According to The Telegraph’s Sam Dean in Arsenal: The Inside Story of Arsenal’s Rebirth Under Mikel Arteta, then sporting director Edu Gaspar cast a notably wide net.

Arteta, who had never managed before, was viewed at first as sitting “closer to the lower end” of the list. His case rested on a playing career that had taken him to north London and on the experience he had built as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City.

Still, Arteta had already been thinking about coaching since the age of 26, when a torn ACL at Everton forced him to look at the game differently. Edu said the former midfielder made a striking impression when he came to his home.

“I spoke to him about the squad, the culture, the strategy and everything that I had thought in my six months inside the club,” Edu told Dean. “And Mikel was extremely prepared for the conversation. He was prepared to such a level that it felt like he was inside the club already. He presented and spoke about everything. Everything.

“It was extremely impressive, the way he presented his strategy, the way he was seeing the club and also the excitement he had to start the project. I was like: ‘Wow, this guy is prepared—to the next level.’”

The report also says Mauricio Pochettino entered “serious conversations” shortly after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, while Carlo Ancelotti was available before later taking the Everton job and then returning to Real Madrid, where he won more major honours. Patrick Vieira, who already had managerial experience, was another name considered before eventually landing Premier League work elsewhere.

Roberto Martínez, then with Belgium, and Vítor Pereira, who was coaching in China, were also among the broader search. Julian Nagelsmann was highly regarded at the time, while Massimiliano Allegri featured in the final part of the process, revealing his distance from modern data tools in an interview the day before Arteta was officially appointed.

Arsenal avoided a third straight draw at the City Ground by grinding out a 1-0 win over a depleted Nottingham Forest side, with Noni Madueke’s deflected effort proving the difference.

The game was short on fluency for long spells. Forest threatened on the break whenever Arsenal lost rhythm in possession, and after a brighter start to the second half, the hosts looked the more likely to find a breakthrough. Yet Mikel Arteta’s team stayed intact, and they found the one moment that mattered with 10 minutes left.

Madueke drove in from the left and sent a shot goalward that took a double deflection off Forest defenders before beating Matz Sels, who had been largely untroubled before that point. Forest still created enough late pressure to leave Arsenal uneasy, but Liam Delap and Chris Wood were both denied by excellent recovery defending as the visitors protected their lead.

The result lifted the champions back above Brighton & Hove Albion and into second place, three points behind Manchester City at the top.

Arsenal’s first-half issues were once again obvious. Their possession brought little reward, and Forest’s 5-4-1 block made life difficult for Arsenal’s attacking players. Excluding the Carabao Cup third-round win at Ipswich Town, they have now failed to score before half-time in each of their previous six matches.

That sluggish opening has become a recurring pattern this season, and it continues to raise questions about the attack. Arsenal remain difficult to beat and strong without the ball, but they are still relying on short bursts rather than sustained control in the final third.

Madueke’s winner ensured the point was theirs, but the broader picture remains that Arsenal continue to work hard to mask their summer oversight of not signing another left winger. If they are to achieve all they want this season, the need for a winter addition in attack is becoming clearer.