The Gunners host Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-eight tie at the Emirates on Tuesday, with the return leg at Allianz Arena scheduled for next Wednesday. If Arsenal can defeat the Bundesliga giants over two legs, they will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the semi-final.
After the weekend's Premier League results, Arteta's side are in pole position to win a first league title since 2004 after Liverpool failed to make their dominance count in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford, 24 hours after the Gunners made light work of Brighton & Hove Albion as goals from Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard secured a 3-0 win on the South Coast.
But despite leading the Premier League title race ahead of the final seven games of the season, Neville thinks Arsenal will struggle in their two-legged affair with Thomas Tuchel's side, who are 16 points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen and surrendered a 2-0 lead against 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday."Oh, these are proper performances that Arsenal are putting in," said the former Manchester United defender on Sunday's Gary Neville podcast. "They are not just performances whereby they are winning games, you talk about performance levels in every single department, these are real performances.
"Even the one at the Etihad was a real performance from a defensive perspective, as good as you'll see. And yesterday was so professional, a title-winning type performance where you just do your job.
"I hope Arsenal beat Bayern Munich, of course I do. I actually think Arsenal will struggle against Bayern Munich. I know Bayern Munich at this moment in time are having a torrid time in the Bundesliga, but I just feel that Arsenal will struggle against the might; the history; going to the Allianz in the second leg.
"That may just be too much for them from a point of view where sometimes there's a learning that's got the occur in the Champions League. I think Arsenal may experience that in the next couple of weeks. Whether that's good for them or bad, we don't know yet."
Offering his thoughts on how the race for the Premier League title looks with seven games to go, Neville added: "They've all got European football, they've all got things to contend with. It's tight. But City will be very happy this weekend, I think, they'll be happy that Liverpool have dropped two points today."
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