Even though the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says that the possibility of getting back into the tie against Bayern Munich is not impossible, he is thought to be seriously considering resting several key players with the Premier league match during the weekend in mind.
Arsenal lost the first leg against the German team 3-1, which has put them in a serious disadvantage going into the second leg. This is due to the imperious form of Bayern Munich since the winter break, as the team has not lost a single match. Bayern also have an extraordinarily strong defence, which has helped them open a 20 point advantage in the league.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are fighting to finish in the top four positions of the Premier league. They are currently fifth in the table, which puts them in serious danger of missing out on the Champions league next season. Arsenal have been qualifying for the group stages of this competition for the last 15 seasons, but the 2-1 defeat suffered against Tottenham during the weekend has raised the first red flag. This along with the fact that players like Jack Wilshere and Lukas Podolski will be unavailable for Arsenal mean that the chances are looking extremely slim.
“Swansea is a huge game as well. Qualifying for the Champions League is massive for us. We want to be in there – and I don’t envisage anything else. That’s why it was so difficult for us to lose at Tottenham. Of course it’s Tottenham, which means more, but it was more the impact in the league which was a worry for me. If I was in your position, I would doubt as well. If we were to come back it would be the best comeback in the Champions League," said Wenger, whose team face Swansea during the weekend.