Arsenal Morning Round-Up, Wednesday 21st October 2026: Arteta Fired Up for Bayern Munich Showdown
Mikel Arteta says he is relishing tonight's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, with the manager keen to keep Arsenal's unbeaten European run going at the Allianz Arena (Arsenal.com). Arsenal.com reports he is excited for the challenge against the German giants (Arsenal.com), and Football.London suggests the Gunners could even have a slight advantage heading into the game as a "dream scenario" unfolds for Arteta's side (Football.London).
On the injury front, Football.London has the latest fitness news with updates on Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi, as Arteta prepares a fairly healthy squad for the trip to Munich (Football.London). However, five players are set to miss the Bayern game, even though Arteta is said to have received a triple boost elsewhere in the squad (Football.London).
Off the pitch, Arteta has dismissed criticism of Arsenal's style of play, insisting it only comes from "a very small minority," while David Raya admitted he is unsure how to respond when the team's approach is labelled "boring or irritating" (BBC Sport). Elsewhere, Peter Schmeichel has praised Raya and admitted he had to eat his words over a bold Arteta decision involving the goalkeeper (Football.London). Football.London also reports that Bukayo Saka has been controversially dubbed a "passenger" by Carlton Cole, while Gilles Grimandi has named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as what he sees as Arteta's dream transfer target (Football.London).
On the transfer side, Football.London reveals one current Arsenal player explained why he turned down a move to Bayern Munich in order to play under Arteta (Football.London), while BBC Sport's gossip column mentions Arsenal are among those keeping tabs on Xavi Espart (BBC Sport).
Attention now turns fully to tonight's Champions League showdown against Bayern Munich, live from the Allianz Arena (Arsenal.com) (Football.London) (Football.London).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
