Arsenal players, manager, fans and everyone else associated with the club will still have nightmares about the last time they played Bayern Munich, when the German champions beat the English Premier League side 10-2 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League last 16. The Gunners will look to banish some of those nightmares by beating Bayern in an International Champions Cup 2017 match in Shanghai on Wednesday.
Arsene Wenger has already made two important signings in Sead Kolasinac, on a free transfer from Schalke, and Alexandre Lacazette, for a club record fee from Lyon, and while more new faces are expected before the summer transfer window comes to an end, the Arsenal manager will be keen to see just how equipped his side are for the new season.
And there is no stiffer competition to hope for than Bayern, the club who have enjoyed themselves against Arsenal quite often in the recent past, even if the Gunners are coming off two wins in Australia – against Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers.
"For us it was a big change to come over from Australia to Shanghai, with the weather," Wenger said.
"We trained hard, so I think physically we have suffered a little bit. This is another pre-season game and it is good for us to get competition.
"In the first two games we focused mainly on attacking and in the second part of the tour we will have to focus on defending and attacking because we play against two big opponents (Arsenal play Chelsea in Beijing after the Bayern match).
"The expectation is to deal with a quality game and to come out of the game with more confidence. That means we play with the quality we have shown in our first two games. And to win the game."
Bayern, as always, head into the new season as the clear favourites to retain the Bundesliga title, but the real test for them will be in the Champions League.
Considering Arsenal are not in Europe's elite competition this season, there is a good chance these two sides won't face each other at all in the new season. All the more reason to savour this contest.
"The game against Arsenal will help us to get into shape and prepare for the start of the season," Bayern manager Carlo Ancelotti said.
When and where to watch live
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich ICC 2017 pre-season match is set to begin at 7.20pm local time, 4.50pm IST, 12.10pm BST, 7.10am ET. TV and live streaming information is below.
India: TV: Ten 2. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
UK: TV: Premier Sports.
USA: TV: ESPN 3. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
Australia, Middle East, North Africa, France: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
International: Arsenal Player.
