A clear-cut victory in the Premier League on Saturday provided Arsenal with a successful dress rehearsal for the meeting with the German record champions in the Champions League on Tuesday. The Gunners won 3-0 away to promoted Watford and remain second in the English top flight, level on points with third-placed Manchester United and two points short of table-toppers Manchester City.
Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger rested none of his players prior to the encounter with Bayern. The 20,721 crowd at Vicarage Road saw the Gunners struggle against 12th-ranked Watford at first. It was only after 62 minutes that Alexis Sanchez put the favourites from North London into the lead after an assist by Mesut Özil. Shortly afterwards, Olivier Giroud (68) – again after an Özil assist – and Aaron Ramsey (74) wrapped things up. Three goals in 13 minutes settled the win for Arsenal.
“Today's victory was important. We couldn't have prepared better for Tuesday,” commented Wenger after the match, praising Alexis Sanchez who has scored ten times in his last six matches for Arsenal and Chile: “He was outstanding.”
Arsenal line-up in Watford: Cech - Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal - Santi Cazorla, Coquelin - Ramsey, Özil (Arteta 81), Sanchez (Oxlade-Chamberlain 80) - Walcott (Giroud 64)
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