Pep Guardiola Tells Arsenal to 'Trust' Bayern Munich in Olympiakos Match

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has informed Arsenal they can "trust" his team to be at their best when they play Olympiakos in Matchday 5 of the Champions League after the Bundesliga champions destroyed the Premier League club 5-1 on Wednesday.

The Gunners need the Germans to do them a favour by beating the Greek side, who sit joint-top in Group F, six points clear of Arsenal with only two games left.

Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail quoted the Spanish coach after the contest at the Allianz Arena, as Guardiola promised a strong showing on Nov. 24: "Trust us we will try to win. Be sure we will fight because we want to be first in the group."

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Arsenal were blown away by a ruthless Bayern performance on Wednesday, and the Bavarians' protagonists were at their very best as the north London side folded.

Goals from Robert Lewandowski, David Alaba, Arjen Robben and two from Thomas Muller broke Arsenal fans' hearts as the Gunners retreated into their shell with their European ambitions in tatters. 

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

German defender Per Mertesacker said several of his compatriots were keen to help Arsenal qualify, per James Olley of the London Evening Standard: "I’ve already had some good discussions with the Bayern players. They want to protect and help us somehow. But we have to look at ourselves, which I think is particularly important after last night."

The Emirates Stadium club was hugely off the pace on Wednesday, with Bayern ripping through the defensive line and showing a gulf in quality, as tactics blogger and professional coach Matt Whitehouse highlighted during the defeat:

Wenger also blamed his defence for the calamitous performance, saying after the match, per Barlow: "We were not at the races. When we went forward we had chances but with a defensive performance like that you go nowhere."

A draw for Olympiakos will guarantee them passage to the knockout rounds of the Champions League—an event that was considered highly unlikely when the draw was made. Three wins from their four matches have placed them comfortably above Wenger's side, who have conceded 10 goals in the group stage, per UEFA.com.

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Arsenal's predicament is of their own making, and a number of midfielders appeared to sacrifice their defensive duties as Bayern poured forward at high speed.

The team has experienced similar issues in the past, sacrificing defensive steel for flair when situations have called for a more compact shape.

Wenger has improved this tactical element in the last 12 months, but old habits returned on Wednesday, leading to a devastating beating.

The coach will now pray Bayern can do his side a favour toward the end of November but will also hope the manner of the loss does not shatter his side's confidence in the quest for Premier League glory.