Former Arsenal star Serge Gnabry has fired a dig at Manchester United ahead of Bayern Munich's opening group stage match in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The 28-year-old, who left the Emirates Stadium in 2016, is yet to score for his side so far this season but has helped them to their current second place in the Bundesliga, only behind Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference.
Erik ten Hag's side have not enjoyed similar success to the Gunners nor Gnabry's Bayern, with Mikel Arteta's side taking four wins from their opening five with only a 2-2 draw against Fulham between them and a 100 per cent record. The Red Devils, on the other hand, have only taken six shaky points so far this season having lost three of their last four.
Earlier this week ahead of his side's clash with Red Star Belgrade, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola laughed when asked by reporters whether his side's bitter rivals were on the same level as them, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Guardiola said: "But you know how strong is Arsenal. Yesterday I saw them against [Everton at] Goodison Park, they are exceptional and Liverpool again and mentalities continue there."
A reporter then asked: "And Manchester United?" But Guardiola simply laughed, saying: "[Laughs]. Well, they didn't start. They didn't start in [the way] they expect like Chelsea but always they... Man United always they with Chelsea, sooner or later they will take the rhythm. But that is important for us after winning the treble, five to five [wins] is really, really good, really good."
The German international Gnabry has now echoed his team's former manager's comments, claiming that his side aren't worried about facing Man United in their first group stage match after their poor start to the season.
"That is always very important [getting off to a good start in the group stage]. We want to set an example straight away and get the three points," Gnabry explained to OneFootball.
"The fact that we're playing against the nominally strongest opponent in the group right at the start at home in the Allianz Arena is an advantage for us. In recent years we have always been very convincing in the Champions League group stage – we want to continue like this."
