Good evening everyone. It really does not get much bigger than this one in the Champions League group stage. Arsenal, who lost their opening two Group F games, take on the mighty Bayern Munich as they look to rescue their European dream at the Emirates Stadium. Can they triumph over Pep Guardiola's men tonight?

Keep calm Arsenal fans. It is going to be a long night. Even a defeat this evening would not end Arsenal's hopes, but you certainly feel that they have to produce at least one special performance in this double header with Bayern. A victory this evening would change the mood very quickly. Arsene Wenger remains confident, but it's down to the players to dig the club out of trouble now.

Bayern could not be in better form. They have won 12 games in a row in all competitions and already look a good bet to add to their tally of five European titles. Guardiola triumphed in this competition with Barcelona, but he is desperate to add European success to Bundesliga dominance with Bayern. Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and the rest of the gang are all in excellent form. Can they be stopped?

Full team news is on the way, but the headline is that Arsenal are unchanged from the 3-0 victory over Watford at the weekend.

ARSENAL: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Cazorla, Coquelin; Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez; Walcott
SUBS: Macey, Chambers, Debuchy, Gibbs, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud

No surprises from Wenger tonight. Petr Cech always looked likely to start, but David Ospina's injury means that the summer signing makes his first Champions League appearance for the Gunners. Theo Walcott is given the responsibility of leading the line with the usual supporting act behind him.

BAYERN: Neuer; Bernat, Boateng, Alaba, Lahm; Alonso, Thiago, Vidal; Costa, Muller, Lewandowski
SUBS: Ulreich, Martinez, Rafinha, Kirchhoff, Coman, Kimmich, Gaudino

Bayern extended their winning run with a 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen at the weekend, and Guardiola makes just one change to that side as Douglas Costa replaces Rafinha. Xabi Alonso, Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal look set to form a three-man midfield, but as always, Guardiola could alter the shape at any stage. Arjen Robben is still at home as he recovers from an adductor injury, but Kingsley Coman is on the bench.

The team has arrived, the fans are flooding in. 40 minutes until kick-off!! #packmas #ARSFCB pic.twitter.com/gMilNzyV80 — FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) October 20, 2015

Few group games could get fans as excited as they are this evening. On form, there is no better side in Europe than Bayern, whose front three of Lewandowski, Muller and Douglas Costa will provide the Arsenal defence with arguably their biggest test of the season.

Costa has been a huge success since arriving in the summer. Robben is on the sidelines once again, while Franck Ribery seems no closer to returning from his latest injury nightmare. Costa's pace and trickery out wide has been key in the early stages of the season. He creates space for his teammates by often attracting two or three defenders at once. Hector Bellerin vs. the Brazilian could be a very fun watch!

Guardiola is taking absolutely nothing from Arsenal's two Group F defeats. Bayern will have one foot in the knockout stage if they wing tonight, but the Spaniard is expecting the hosts to come out fighting.

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"I can imagine my team with zero points and playing in Germany against Arsenal," he told reporters yesterday. "I can imagine the mentality of my team - we would be an animal because it is our last chance, you give everything, and that will happen with Arsenal."

A quick reminder that you can follow live text coverage of all eight of tonight's Champions League games by clicking on the fixture in the scores box. It promises to be a dramatic evening as the groups begin to take shape on matchday three.

0 - Arsenal have never lost three consecutive games in the Champions League. Danger. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 20, 2015

"I believe that the urgency from us will be different. In Europe Bayern have the best side at the moment, they do not drop points," Wenger has just told BT Sport.

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"Are Bayern the underdogs? No! They are vastly favourites but I know we can beat them. It is important for us to grow as a team that we can win this game. You never know how open it will be."

Arsenal make the trip to the Allianz Arena, and recent history suggests that they might enjoy more success on that visit. In four meetings with Bayern since 2013, the Gunners have twice lost to the German giants in North London but they have claimed a draw and a win in Bavaria.

The battle of the South Americans. @Alexis_Sanchez or @douglascosta? #UCL pic.twitter.com/1V69quW44o

— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 20, 2015

PREDICTION: This could be the curse, but I see goals tonight. Many have given Arsenal no chance. Bayern's form makes that understandable, but we've seen Arsenal raise their game against the likes of Barcelona and the Bundesliga champions in recent years. I'm sitting on the fence. 2-2 draw.

If you haven't already heard, there will be quite a few empty seats in the away sections when the game begins in around 10 minutes. That is because a Bayern supporters group are staging a protest after being charged £64 for a ticket. A good protest for a very important cause.

The players are in the tunnel at the Emirates Stadium. Excited? You should be. Kickoff is just a famous anthem and a few handshakes away now.

216 - Manuel Neuer will play his 216th competitive match for @FCBayernEN, surpassing Jean-Marie Pfaff. Established.

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) October 20, 2015

KICKOFF! Arsenal get the game underway. Bayern immediately working very hard off the ball as they win the ball from the hosts. Lewandowski threatens to produce a moment of magic by skipping a couple of challenges, before Bellerin steps in with a vital touch in the box.

Good decision from the assistant referee as Bellerin goes just too early to collect Cazorla's clever through ball. Promising signs for Arsenal, who have moved the ball at pace early on.

Bayern are settling quickly on the ball. Alonso delivers a fantastic 40-yard pass to Costa, but Bellerin robs the Brazilian of the ball with some fine defender. The protesters have started to take their seats and they are being applauded by the Arsenal fans. Nice touch.

SAVE! Huge chance. Sanchez leads the attack with a great run through the middle before finding Ozil, whose low strike is brilliantly saved by Neuer. Walcott threatens to turn in the rebound but Lahm makes a crucial tackle to keep out the England forward. Good football from the Gunners.

Lewandowski is dropping deeper than he usually does, which may be a deliberate tactic from Guardiola to unsettle Mertesacker, who looks reluctant to follow the Polish striker. Bayern knocking the ball around nicely now.

SAVE! It's Cech's turn to come to the rescue for his side as Bayern slice open Arsenal. Alonso plays a lovely pass through to Thiago, who finds space between the Gunners defence and midfield. He exchanges passes with Muller in the box but Cech makes a fine save from his powerful shot. Superb from both goalkeepers.

Muller and Lewandowski are both dropping deep, which is leaving Mertesacker and Koscielny with no one to mark. Guardiola clearly wants to use runners from midfield tonight to create space. Alaba fancies his chances with a deflected 30-yard effort, before Arsenal clear the corner.

Excellent play from Bayern once again. They're patient in possession, before stepping up the tempo as Costa delivers a low cross which is cleared behind at the front post. The pressure is beginning to build.

It's difficult to criticise Arsenal. They could not afford to be open in the early stages, but they need to look after the ball better in order to hurt Bayern on the break. Mertesacker makes a crucial headed clearance from an inviting Lahm cross.

Costa is a joy to watch. He turns Bellerin around with a stunning piece of footwork and Cech is forced to push the ball away at his front post. Once again, Bayern waste the corner.

Walcott is playing on the shoulder of the last defender, but the service to him hasn't been great yet as another counter-attack breaks down before the hosts can worry Bayern. There will be opportunities on the break.

A chance almost arrives when Boateng miscues a clearance while attempting to deal with a chipped ball forward. It falls for Walcott, who is quickly crowded out and his tame effort is easily collected by Neuer.

Bellerin is very talented, but he is struggling against Costa, who makes the young defender look foolish with another clever turn before winning a free kick in midfield. Bayern move the ball forward quickly, but Lewandowski can only slice a shot wide from the edge of the box.

Vidal needs a moment to recover after being challenged by Koscielny. The defender got some of the ball, but it looked like he came through the back of the Chilean. A few Bayern players are not happy, but the referee decided against using his whistle.

SAVE! Some of the movement off the ball has been excellent. Thiago doesn't have the ball, but he manages to take two players out of the game as the influential Alonso finds Vidal, who controls on the edge of the box before unleashing a volley which Cech beats away.

Much better from Arsenal as they create an opening when Walcott exchanges passes with Sanchez. Alaba misses the tackle, but Walcott can only miscue an effort over crossbar. Neuer then invites pressure with a misplaced pass as Bayern looked to build from the back.

CHANCE! This has to go down as a big opportunity for the hosts. A corner is missed by a number of players, but Sanchez controls before sending a half-volley into the stands after finding space in the box.

SAVE! I promise you. There will not be a better save than this one for the rest of the season. Neuer is the best in the world and he produces a moment of magic by somehow managing to dive behind him to get a hand to a header from the unmarked Walcott, who looked certain to score after being picked out by Monreal. Incredible from the Bayern goalkeeper!

This is turning into a very good spell from Arsenal. Walcott can't quite find the space to unleash a shot in a congested box, but Ramsey keeps the pressure on by finding Bellerin, who settles for winning a corner. Bayern clear to relieve the pressure. It's a great game in North London.

This is the right way for Arsenal. Coquelin wins the ball in midfield and immediately plays a diagonal to Walcott, who has moved from Alaba to the much slower Boateng. He squares the defender up before hitting a weak effort straight at Neuer.

Lahm is officially the calmest man in the capital tonight. Arsenal put the pressure on as Walcott chips the ball into the danger zone, but Bayern's skipper shrugs off the pressure of a waiting Sanchez by heading back to Neuer from inside the six-yard-box.

More space available on the break for Sanchez and Walcott, who certainly hold the key for Arsenal, but Thiago tracks back well to stop the former from collecting the ball in the box.

Sanchez and Arsenal are sent a big warning. A misplaced pass hands the ball to Costa, who fights the urge to take on Mertesacker and unleashes a shot which Cech gets a touch on as it drifts over the crossbar.

Arsenal retaining their focus in defence as they clear a couple of corners from the visitors, who continue to dominate possession despite that good spell from the hosts.

Bayern try something different when Boating goes long in an attempt to find Costa, but Bellerin is in the right place as he heads back to the waiting Cech.

A gripping first half comes to an end at the Emirates Stadium. Bayern have controlled the game for long spells and tested Cech with a couple of good chances but Arsenal are a big threat on the break and they looked set to take the lead before Neuer produced a stunning save to deny Walcott from close range.

It's been exactly what we all wanted it to be. Bayern have shown their brilliance at times, while the Gunners have stuck to their defensive shape well after being caught out on too many occasions early on. Lewandowski and Muller have been quiet for long spells, but it's Thiago and Vidal making runs from deep which might cause the most problems.

A replay has suggested that a few hopeful appeals for a penalty from Bayern late in the first half perhaps should have resulted in the whistle arriving from the referee. It looked like Sanchez had brought the ball down on his chest, but the clip I've just seen proves he definitely controlled it with his arm. A slice of luck for the Gunners.

5 - Theo Walcott has already mustered five shots vs Bayern (incl. blocked), the most by an Arsenal player in a CL game this season. Trying.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 20, 2015

UPDATE: in tonight's other Group F game, Dynamo Zagreb and Olympiacos are still waiting for a breakthrough in their meeting in Croatia.

RESTART! Bayern get the game back underway. Will Cech or Neuer be beaten?

Bayern are on top in the early stages of the second half. Muller is keeping his width as much as possible, as is Costa, whose cross from the left is headed away. The visitors get the ball back to the Brazilian and he throws in some tricks before winning a corner. Arsenal eventually clear.

Well, he's done it before. Alonso has space in the Bayern half of the pitch and he attempts to stun Cech with a speculative effort which drifts wide. That would have been special.

He's been the best player so far tonight and Costa almost breaks the deadlock with a spectacular effort. Coquelin joins his list of victims as he goes for the ball before watching the winger skip past him and send a powerful effort just over from 25 yards.

Arsenal haven't been able to get much of a kick in the early stages of the second half. Montreal is refusing to take his eye of Muller, who is left frustrated when Thiago gets a chipped through ball all wrong.

SAVE! Costa's attempt to play through Thiago is stopped, but the loose ball almost brings a goal as Lewandowski's superb strike from the left side of the box is tipped over. Bayern take the corner short, but Cech collects easily when Costa delivers the ball into the danger zone.

SUB! Ramsey's face tells the story. It's a shake of the head from the Welshman after pulling up with pain in his hamstring as Arsenal looked to press the ball high up the pitch. That could be a spell on the sidelines for the midfielder. Oxlade-Chamberlain is his replacement.

Good football from Monreal and Ozil on the left, before the latter comes inside to find Coquelin, who sends a shot well wide after finding plenty of space 25 yards from goal.

Arsenal are taught a lesson about taking risks by arguably the best pressing team in the world. Sanchez looked to be getting frustrated a few moments ago and he attempts to play himself out of trouble before being dispossessed by Alonso. Luckily for Sanchez, his defence comes to the rescue as Lewandowski's blocked shot comes back to Alonso, who drags an effort wide from outside the box.

It just feels like a Bayern breakthrough could be around the corner. Lahm and Muller link up well as the captain finds the forward in the box, but his powerful cross misses both Lewandowski and Costa as Arsenal fans breathe a sigh of relief.

Walcott hasn't been involved in the second half. In truth, it really isn't his fault but Arsenal are finding it tough to escape from Bayern's high intensity pressing game. A loose ball almost falls for him and Sanchez, but the impressive Thiago cleans up again.

Credit to Arsenal. Bayern, and Alonso in particular, keep the ball for almost two minutes but the hosts hold their shape brilliantly to make space almost impossible to find. Still a long way to go.

Surprisingly, Walcott climbs highest to meet a Monreal cross with a header which is easy for Neuer to catch. It may even have been going wide before the Bayern goalkeeper stepped in.

SUBS! Alonso has had a very good game but Guardiola decides Bayern need to freshen things up. He is replaced by Joshua Kimmich, while Rafinha comes on for Vidal. That move will probably see Lahm move into midfield, with Rafinha operating at right-back. Thiago will be expected to get forward even more now.

Chamberlain settles for a corner when two Bayern players close him down quickly on the right side of the box. Cazorla's delivery is dreadful but the ball comes back to him for a second attempt, which Alaba clears away at the front post.

SUB! Wenger makes his first change as Olivier Giroud replaces Walcott. Arsenal need him to hold up the ball, but without Walcott on the pitch, the pressure is on Sanchez and Chamberlain to make runs either side of the striker.

CHANCE! Bayern win the ball in midfield and break with Muller and Costa, who picks out Lewandowski. The Polish striker makes good connection with the shot in the box, but Koscielny slides in with a superb tackle and Cech then gets a hand on the deflected effort. Superb from both men.

CLOSE! Is the goal coming? It's a moment of brilliance from Muller as he turns after collecting a throw, before sending a half-volley just wide of the post from the edge of the box.

The goal has arrived, but it's for Arsenal and there may be some controversy. Neuer makes a huge mistake while attempting to collect the ball from a free kick, and Giroud sneaks in behind to break the deadlock from close range. It looks like a header, but replays show that the ball came off his hand, too! The official behind the goal really should see it, but the home supporters do not care one bit.

Bayern are piling the pressure on now, but Arsenal are making the challenges when they matter as Costa's cross is blocked by Bellerin. This could be a huge result for Arsenal, who will be just one point behind Zagreb and Olympiacos if the scores stay the same.

Bayern win a free kick and send the defenders forward, but Thiago gets it wrong for once as the ball drifts out of play without causing problems.

SUB! Wenger is ready to protect this lead. Kieran Gibbs is off the bench to replace Sanchez.

CHANCE! It should be game over. Giroud may be the hero, but he misses a great chance after meeting a corner unmarked. The header is straight at Neuer, who makes an easy save. Giroud then picks up a yellow for blocking a quick throw from the goalkeeper.

Dare I say it, Bayern are starting to run out of steam and ideas. That goal has given Arsenal extra confidence as they continue to halt the attacks from the visitors. A Bernat cross doesn't appear to be causing any problems, but Monreal still heads behind.

It just isn't clicking for Bayern. Boateng is playing as an extra midfielder as he comes forward, but his ball to Muller is poor as the pressure on Arsenal is relieved once again.

Thiago is given too much space to bring the ball forward and he threatens to punish Arsenal with a powerful 25-yard strike which Cech saves with apparent ease. The importance of having such a good goalkeeper has been clear tonight. Cech has been excellent.

Arsenal are still defending superbly as the fourth official come out to confirm that there will be four minutes added on.

CHANCE! This was the opportunity. Lewandowski control is quite superb as he breaks into the box. I can't believe he doesn't shoot next, and his moment of hesitation allows Koscielny to recover as Arsenal clear once again. Around a minute left.

What a finish to this match! I don't know where Bellerin has found the energy, but he comes forward to break up play before showing the awareness to square the ball. It looks like another world-class stop from Neuer when he dives full stretch to get to the ball, before Oxlade-Chamberlain sends the rebound over. However, the official behind the goal correctly rules that Oil's effort crossed the line.

What a remarkable finish to the game on an incredible evening at the Emirates Stadium. Bayern controlled for long spells, but Arsenal have showed the defensive resilience they have failed to produce for so long and they have claimed a famous win to boost their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage. After 12 successive wins Bayern are beaten and the Gunners have clinched the win.

Have you caught your breath yet? We'll have analysis and player ratings for you shortly, but our live text coverage comes to an end now. Thanks for joining me for a very enjoyable evening. Goodbye everyone.