Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: Captain Mikel Arteta speaks out on his battle with Francis Coquelin

Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta believes the Champions League game against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night (20 October) will be completely different affair to the recent Premier League victories over Manchester United and Watford. The Spanish midfielder also confirmed that he is ready to battle for a starting role in the first team, despite Francis Coquelin's current form.

Wenger's side are in desperate need of a victory over the Bundesliga giants, having suffered two disappointing defeats in the opening two games of the group stage against Dinamo Zabreb and Olympiacos. Arteta said his side are in a good mood following the two wins against United and Watford but suggested beating Bayern would be a bigger challenge, claiming the Gunners need to be patient and take their chances up front to secure a positive result.

"We arrive at the game following two good results, two 3-0 wins, but it is going to be a very different match", Arteta said to IBTimes UK. "We know that Bayern are in a very good shape. They're going to try to take the ball away from us and we'll have to be patient."

"We have to play with intensity and take our chances because Bayern are a team that limit you a lot in terms of possession and creating chances. We must be patient because playing at home and not having the possession sometimes is difficult to understand for the fans but against Bayern it is not easy to have the ball. So being patient is very important."

Arteta himself is having to be patient after seeing Coquelin become Wenger's first choice for the holding role since returning from his loan at Charlton Athletic last season. The Spaniard missed much of last term due to injury and has only started only two games this campaign, the defeat at Dinamo Zagreb and the Capital One Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

The 33-year-old veteran midfielder accepts his new role in the team but having managed to put the injuries behind him he is determined to regain a major role in the team. "I suffered a knock in the game against Leicester but was nothing. I was almost ready to play against Manchester United and the international break has helped me to recover completely," he said.

"I was eight, nine months out of action last season after a complicated surgery on the ankle but I have managed to turn the situation around. I feel fine but I know that after that I was going to have more time. You know that at certain age this comes. I accept it with all naturalness, trying to help with a secondary role but also be important."

Asked about whether he believes Coquelin has already won the battle for the holding role, he said: "It's not something that I'm going to accept. I understand and respect that but I do not accept it because it goes against my principles so I try to take my chances to play more."