cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Anonymous User
Not applicable

When the draw was made for the Champions League round of 16, it was assumed by the world and its mother that Arsenal would get the short end of the stick once again. Whether it be Bayern Munich or Barcelona, the Gunners have made a habit of meeting the best teams in Europe at this stage of the competition in recent years. So when AS Monaco were pulled from the ‘hat’, Arsenal fans could be excused for partying like it was (Anfield) 1989.

 

Arsenal met Monaco in a pre-season game last August.

 

Over the last four seasons the North Londoners have met - in chronological order: Barcelona; AC Milan; Bayern Munich; Bayern Munich. With three wins, four defeats and one draw in this sequence, Arsenal’s record against the powerhouses of European football may not seem too shabby, but each tie ended with the same outcome: ELIMINATION.

 

Although one should never look a French gift horse in the mouth, the Gunners should be licking their lips in anticipation of Wednesday’s first leg tie at the Emirates.

Monaco are fourth in Ligue 1, nine points off the top and have scored 26 goals in 25 games. Their forward line, which includes the leisurely Dimitar Berbatov, are not exactly banging them in. In fact, they only scored four goals in six games in their Champions League group stage but then again, only conceded one. The signs may be promising for Arsenal, but this game has the type of emotional baggage attached to it that could derail even the most philosophical of managers.

 

Arsene Wenger in his Monaco days with Mark Hateley and Glenn Hoddle.

 

Arsene Wenger has been at Arsenal so long that it’s quite possible that people of a certain age probably think he was hatched from a fossilised egg in the Marble Halls of Highbury. A fanciful idea, but before Wenger became ‘Le Professeur’ of Islington, he had already made his mark as a football coach in his native France with (yes, you’ve guessed it) the Monégasques.

 

Like a run-through for the Arsenal job that was to come around later, Wenger spent seven years – from 1987 to 1994 - at Le Stade Louis II imprinting his personality onto the football club. While in charge, Arsene guided them to a League title, a domestic cup triumph and a European Cup Winners Cup final in 1992.


Berbatov comes back to London.

 

Although this will be the first time that Arsenal and Monaco have met in a competitive situation, the Gunners have a superb record against French teams under Wenger; W10 D4 L2. So the Gunners have reason to be as confident as Olivier Giroud walking in on a hen-do with his shirt off.

 

A home win looks likely, but here is a word of caution before shots are fired in anger: Monaco played Arsenal in the Emirates Cup last August during pre-season and won the game 1-0 courtesy of a headed goal by Radamel Falcao. Now whatever happened to that guy?

Watch the game live on NOW TV from 7.00 pm... po.st/NTVSport