Harry Kane: Arsenal have no fear of former Spurs striker ahead of Bayern Munich clash, says Mikel Arteta | soccer news

Mikel Arteta insists Harry Kane has no fear of Arsenal and says his players will be ready to keep him quiet against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Kane will face the Gunners in 2023, having scored an incredible 109 goals in 114 appearances for Bayern after moving from Spurs. That includes 24 goals in 18 games this season.

The 32-year-old has an outstanding record against Arsenal, scoring 15 goals in 21 appearances in total.

The penalty he scored on his last visit, in the 2024 Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern, was his sixth goal in 10 games at the Emirates Stadium. No opposing player has scored more goals from the ground.

Kane’s goalscoring form has reached new heights this season but Arteta was upbeat when asked if he was afraid of the former Spurs striker.

“I wouldn’t use that word,” he said in his pre-game press conference. “I respect what he has accomplished and what he continues to do.

“This level of consistency, asking for goals at the level of his country, especially for any team he has been in, is unbelievable, so I give him a lot of credit.”

Wednesday’s match pits the top two teams in the Champions League, with Arsenal and Bayern having won all four games so far.

Kane: “It’s a different game against Arsenal, but I want to win at the Emirates.”

Kane has admitted his performance against Arsenal has not been the same since his move to Bayern, but the England captain is still keen to get a win at the Emirates.

“For Tottenham, the game against Arsenal has always been one of the biggest games of the season,” Kane said.

“I have friends who are fans of both teams. The situation is completely different for Bayern because they don’t always play each other. We had an important win against them in the quarter-finals two years ago. I’ve scored a lot of goals here in the stadium, but we haven’t won many games. I hope we can change that.”

Kane is yet to win at the Emirates but is ready for another challenge at Arsenal.

“They are more solid, they have more experience, but they play similarly to how they did then. Defensively their structure is better. They have gained experience in the Champions League, and that has made them better and helped them grow. That is why they are where they are now. It will be a good test for us.”

“Arsenal have done well in that department (set-pieces) so far. We have prepared for them as usual. The best thing is to dominate the game without giving them set-pieces. And when we do concede set-pieces, we have to defend better than we have done recently.”

Defender Jurien Timber admits it won’t be easy to stop Bayern Munich, especially Kane, but insists Arsenal’s team spirit could be key, citing hat-trick hero Eberechi Eze’s off-the-ball play in Sunday’s north London derby as an example.

“Of course it won’t be easy,” he said.

“I think it comes from the clean sheets we’ve had, but it’s not just about the defenders.

“Look at Eze’s performance against Spurs. He scored three goals but defensively he was amazing.

“It’s about the whole team stepping up and trying to do more. It’s about the whole team taking responsibility and going one step further.”

About Kane, Timber said: “He’s an amazing striker and everyone knows it.

“He has so many qualities and has been doing it for so long. At Bayern he is also one of the best players in the world.”

“It will be a good challenge for us as a team and as a defender to stop him tomorrow.”

Arsenal are confident they can use Martin Odegaard again after suffering a knee injury against Bayern, while Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli are competing to be named as substitutes against Spurs.

Victor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz are expected to be unavailable but could return for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Chelsea. sky sports.