Toni Kroos and Rio Ferdinand expect Arsenal to give Bayern Munich a difficult time as Harry Kane factor highlighted

Arsenal host Bayern Munich in the first-leg of the Champions League quarter-finals tonight at Emirates Stadium, and they will be desperate to make a statement.

The Gunners suffered 5-1 defeats in each of their last three matches against the Bundesliga giants, but all the Arsenal players who featured in those games are no longer at the club.

Bayern will be facing a different team, and the Premier League leaders will fancy their chances at home.

Rio Ferdinand expects Arsenal to win tonight, but he believes that will only happen if they can manage to stop Harry Kane from influencing the proceedings.

The England international striker has 14 goals in 19 games against the North Londoners and will be keen to hurt them again tonight upon his return to the stadium.

“I actually feel Arsenal are favourites as well. I think you will win, I think you will beat them,” Rio Ferdinand told Gunners-supporting presenter Joel Beya on his YouTube channel.

“I just think that the way you guys are at the moment. I just don’t see…You have got to keep Kane quiet. Keep Kane quiet. If you can do that, you have got a good chance.

“The big thing for Kane is that it is the last chance saloon for him to win a trophy this year, but also what an opportunity for him by the way to put one over on Arsenal. Imagine Kane comes to the Emirates and bags a brace or something. The Spurs fans will be all over it.”

Beya then revealed what Toni Kroos has told him about the Gunners and his prediction for the games against his former team.

“He just said we look solid, we look like a really good team,” the Vibe with FIVE presenter said.

“He is watching from Madrid, and he just said he expects us to really give Munich a difficult time.”

Bayern have been a shadow of their former selves this term as they are set to miss out on the Bundesliga title having won it in each of the last 11 campaigns.

They lost the German Super Cup to RB Leipzig last August before getting dumped out of the DFB-Pokal by third-tier FC Saarbrucken.

Bayern no longer have that fear factor and Arsenal cannot afford to miss the chance to put themselves in a commanding position ahead of the second-leg at Allianz Arena.