Wenger looking to the heavens as Arsenal draw Bayern Munich in Champions League

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger hoping to change history in the Champions League against Bayern Munich

He talked of feeling “guilty” in the past about Arsenal finishing second in their Champions League group and paying the price by drawing one of Europe’s top guns.

Well, he successfully guided the Gunners to the top of their pool this time – with a little help from the Bulgarians Ludogorets – and were still ‘rewarded’ with the draw they dreaded.

To Arsene Wenger’s dismay, they were paired with five-times winners and Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

Two of Arsenal’s exits in the last-16 round over the last six seasons have been to the Germans.

In 2012-13 they went out on away goals, after losing 3-1 at home and winning 2-0 in Munich. The following season they lost 3-1 on aggregate.

Bayern also knocked them out in 2001 and 2005 while last season they consigned Wenger’s men to second place in their group, thrashing them 5-1 at home after a 2-0 defeat at The Emirates.

Theo Walcott reckons Bayern Munich won't be happy with the last 16 draw

The Frenchman is not renowned for being especially religious but he will be saying a few prayers this time.

"Look, the last six years we have not come over the last 16 and they said God made the world in seven days – this is the seventh day for us, so we have to get a special day,” he said.

"I am responsible for the results so I don’t want to escape when I don’t the manage the expectations of people who love this club.

"You feel guilty because you question first yourself and your decision-making and the way the game went.

"We are all here to change history and to make history so we have to change what happened before. And make it better.”

The luckless Gunners topped Group A this season but it was their misfortune that Bayern, now under the command of former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, finished runners-up in their group.

Claudio Ranieri is excited by tough draw against Seville

But Bayern are not having it all their own way in the Bundesliga, only topping the table on goal difference from emerging outfit RB Leipzig.

And Arsenal’s England winger Theo Walcott claimed the Bavarians would not have been happy with the draw. “They won’t want to play Arsenal,” he said. “We won the group, we did what we were asked to do.

"We’ve just got to look at ourselves, think how we’ve improved this season compared to the seasons we’ve played against them recently. We lost 5-1 at their place, we can’t be doing stuff like that.

"We’re a lot more resilient this year. I can’t really see that happening again. We’re a lot more focused and dedicated.

"And home advantage is key. We’ve never had that before. When you go there, feel what they’re like, try to get a steady result if you can, not looking too far ahead.

"When you’re at home for the second game, you have that support, you know what to expect, having played them before you know what you can affect on the pitch.”

While Arsenal can consider themselves unfortunate, Claudio Ranieri dismissed suggestions his Leicester team got lucky again in the draw.

After a favourable group stage draw when they played Bruges and Copenhagen, the Foxes avoided some of Europe’s biggest guns like Bayern, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain again when they were paired with Seville.

But Ranieri was quick to point out Seville’s impressive Euro pedigree – they have won the Europa League three years running, beating Liverpool in last season’s final, and lost only once in a group won by Juventus.

He said: “I know that Sevilla have lifted the Europa League three times in three years which is unbelievable. Now they are third in their league and have lost only three so far. They are a big, big, big team.

"They are fighting to win the title with Real and Barcelona, so that tells you how good they are.

"For us it is a tough but very exciting draw against a team who are used to fighting in Europe. Whoever we played would have been a tough opponent, but all the teams who arrived second will have wanted to play against us.

"I know that we will be the underdogs once again. Always we are underdogs, every time.”

Manchester City were relieved to avoid Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus but sporting director Txiki Begiristain warned that he rates Monaco “as the best team in France”.

Monaco beat Tottenham home and away in their group and are second in the French League, ahead of PSG.

"We have a lot of respect for what Monaco are doing in France and in their Champions League group,” he said. “They have good, talented, young players and are playing the best football in France right now.”