John Obi Mikel knew. After the Chelsea icon pulled out Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final opponents at the draw last month, a hint of a wry smile appeared on his face.
On paper, the Gunners should have been fairly happy with Mikel. Bayern Munich are far from the force they once were, and Arsenal managed to avoid trickier ties against Real Madrid and Manchester City.
However, as the Nigerian’s priceless reaction suggested, this particular tie comes with irresistible added spice. Indeed, a sizeable proportion of Gunners fans will have broken into cold sweats when they saw Bayern’s name pop out as they knew it meant that one of the club’s most troublesome adversaries would be returning to his old stomping ground.