A.S Monaco VS. Arsenal Last 16- 2nd Leg (Kick Off:19:45 TV3 & UTV)

WoollyRedHat

Arsenal come to Monaco chasing what is in effect a 3 goal deficit after being royally embarrassed when Monaco visited the Emirates earlier in February.

Wenger and his team know that the odds are stacked against him in the town of Monte Carlo.
But it's going to take more than just luck if Arsenal still harbour any dreams of a Quarter-Final which has alluded them for the past several years. Jardim declared his team's performance as a dream a few weeks back, as perfection. Wenger's men will need absolute perfection tonight if they are to progress a delicate balance between defence and attack, as Monaco will be happy to sit back and hit Arsenal on the counter-attack.

Stade Louis II is quite the fortress, Monaco have not conceeded more than 2 goals there in nearly 4 years, going back to the erstwhile days where they were relegation fodder. But things have changed and Monaco are now an excellent defensive unit. They have also shown that when push comes to shove that they have the attacking flair with the likes of Berbatov and Moutinho who will be firmly in Arsenal's defender's sights tonight.
A 75% home win record in the Champions league,a stat that is only bettered by Real Madrid.
Furthermore, you have to go back around 50 years the last time a deficit of more than 2 goals has been overcome in the second leg.It's never been done before in the competitions current formation.

But Giroud will be looking for revenge and has, with the exception of that game at the Emirates been in stellar form. He will look to avenge the ghosts and is just the type of player who will be suited to this type of game, with deftly flicks and hold up play to bring the likes of Sanchez and Ramsey into the fold in what will be a stubborn Monaco defence.

Meanwhile, Wenger returns to his old stomping ground. Wenger has promised it is simply business tonight. He has pointed out his excellent record on French soil- He has never lost a game there. W7, D3. But it's not enough to just win, they need 3 goals and can conceed at most one with that scoreline.He'll need a rub of the green tonight. However there is one interesting stat-Arsenal have always eliminated French clubs in knockout encounters in European competition – it’s happened five times in the past.(http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/329779/preview).

Form Guide:Monaco: WWDLWW
Arsenal: WLWWWW

Team news: Gabriel returns to the Arsenal squad having recovered from a hamstring injury. Arsenal will be without Oxlade Chamberlain as he recovers from a hamstring injury and Rosicky who has an illness. Monaco meanwhilehave Ferreira-Carrasco,Kondogbia and Toulalan all returning to the squad. Monaco will be wearing red while Arsenal will be blue. Who's your money on? 5/1 for Arsenal to progress to the Quarter-Final.

Sources:http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/16/arsenal-champions-league-statistics-monaco-arsene-wenger-oliver-giroud
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/16/arsenal-per-mertesacker-first-leg-disaster-monaco-champions-league

Harry Palmr

Monaco are so parsimonious its crazy, I'll go for a shut out 0-0.

This is on ITV I take it?

WoollyRedHat

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Monaco are so parsimonious its crazy, I'll go for a shut out 0-0.

This is on ITV I take it?

There's been a definite shift on sources since summer of 2014 with a greater emphasis now on youth.

Yeah it's on ITV and TV3, I've updated the thread title.

eagle eye

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Monaco are so parsimonious its crazy, I'll go for a shut out 0-0.

This is on ITV I take it?

How can you say that about a club that spent well over €100 million in the two seasons previous to this one?

They really had no choice but to let James Rodriguez go and Falcao obviously wants out as well. They have recouped a lot of what they spent but I'd imagine they still have a pretty high wage bill.

AdamD

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Monaco are so parsimonious its crazy, I'll go for a shut out 0-0.

This is on ITV I take it?

Am I the only one who had to google that?

Paully D

Very difficult to see Arsenal being able to overcome that. It's a real shame they conceded the 3rd a fortnight ago as this would be shaping up to be a cracking second leg if not. It feels like a bit of a dead rubber now.

bad2dabone

It's a huge task but arsenal can do this. I believe we'll give it our best and I believe we'll do it.

Oranage2

This will be a real test to our treble ambitions. I actually think Monaco will win again tonight.

eagle eye

I wouldn't rule out Arsenal tonight. I think they can do it, every team can have a bad performance like what happened in the first leg. I think they are a better team that Monaco and tonight should be an interesting game.

Its gonna be hard to overturn that deficit but I think they will go close.

Frisbee

2-0 Pyrrhic victory nailed on.

extra gravy

Harry Palmr wrote: »

parsimonious

Frisbee wrote: »

Pyrrhic

This thread is throwing up some unexpected words...do I need to get the dictionary out? :pac:

WoollyRedHat

I like it, keep it coming, the more outlandish words I can add to the vocabularly, the more intellectual I can appear to be at the wine and cheese parties I attend on a regular basis.

extra gravy

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

vocabularly

Getting this one right might be a good start :pac:

WoollyRedHat

extra gravy wrote: »

Getting this one right might be a good start :pac:

Damn, should of stuck with Lexicon.

The Moldy Gowl

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Damn, should of stuck with Lexicon.

Let's hope the football flows as freely as our syntax tonight

GLaDOS

Looking forward to this. Not ruling Arsenal out by any stretch and think we could be in for a great game.

DvB

Not a chance will Arsenal come back into this, reading some of the online guff you'd swear all they had to do was flick a switch & become some juggernaut that would turn Monaco into mere cannon fodder... Monaco are a tight solid unit more than capable of beating Arsenal again, as disappointing that is, thats where Arsenl stand in terms of european football at the moment.
I expect them to have a go, & get done on the break just like at the grove.

1-1 I reckon.

Diabhal Beag

Posting anything by Republic of Loose should be a permaban/jail-worthy offence.

rottie 11

I fancy arsenal to go threw tbh . 3-0 win

spock.

Arsenal to win 0-1. I can't see them scoring any more than one.

bad2dabone

DvB wrote: »

Not a chance will Arsenal come back into this, reading some of the online guff you'd swear all they had to do was flick a switch & become some juggernaut that would turn Monaco into mere cannon fodder... Monaco are a tight solid unit more than capable of beating Arsenal again, as disappointing that is, thats where Arsenl stand in terms of european football at the moment.
I expect them to have a go, & get done on the break just like at the grove.

You're right man, they should just cancel the match.

What's the point?

WoollyRedHat

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Posting anything by Republic of Loose should be a permaban/jail-worthy offence.

DvB

bad2dabone wrote: »

You're right man, they should just cancel the match.

What's the point?

The point is there's still a fixture to be fulfilled. It just happens to be one with a very slim chance of Arsenal winning by the scoreline required.

IMO, they wont do it because Monaco aren't a weak side that fluked a result 2 weeks ago in London, they're a good side that IMO are unlikely to allow themselves concede 3/4 goals in a home game. Not being purposely defeatist, just being realsitic based on what I've seen of both teams this year.

bad2dabone

Monaco are a very very solid side. however we did get a fair amount of chances vs them last time but blew it. Its a tall order, but possible.
I wouldn't be writing us off completely.

gosplan

It's so not happening.

Just pretend Monaco are Atletico. That's about the level of odds.

dfx-

Arsenal to win 1-2. They are prone to going 0-2 up, going all out and lose the run of themselves again on the counter with the ferocious pace seen in London..

GavRedKing

Hope ye can do it lads.

Take an early lead and you never know.

Good luck anyway Gunners.

DvB

bad2dabone wrote: »

Monaco are a very very solid side. however we did get a fair amount of chances vs them last time but blew it. Its a tall order, but possible.
I wouldn't be writing us off completely.

If Arsenal get an early goal & scare Monaco, maybe....

I'm struggling to see 3 or 4 goals in the side away from home though...stranger things have happened but I'd be downright amazed ( & delighted might I add) if that happens tonight.

bad2dabone

DvB wrote: »

If Arsenal get an early goal & scare Monaco, maybe....

I'm struggling to see 3 or 4 goals in the side away from home though...stranger things have happened but I'd be downright amazed ( & delighted might I add) if that happens tonight.

I agree, rationally we're not going to do it.
It's not a coincidence that monaco get so many clean sheets. Or that they've not conceded three at home in years.

But I've still got some hope that it could be a famous night.

#Arsenal team to play Monaco: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Welbeck, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud #MONvAFC

ronjo

Realistically we have no chance of winning this.

0-3

Bleating Lamb

Where have all the big words gone??????;)....
Cheap me go mbeidh seans ag na 'Gooners' chun cupla cul a fhail anocht:)

garra

Would like to see Arsenal play like they did against City and have a right good go, like to see Wenger go further in europe, dude deserves it!
Go on gooners entertain us

garra

Arsenal need their pugilists to be the protagonists of doom for Monaco tonight, sanchez coquelin wellbeck ozil and cazorla need to be lively in possession and prescient in defence.

GLaDOS

Me hope Arsenal football good!

maxwell smart

Anyone know how to get ITV HD on the Sky box? Can't watch TV3. Would prefer to look at the text update on BBC!!

tayto lover

Nothing to lose really.
Go out and take the fight to them from the off.
Make your own luck Arsenal.

efb

Come on Arsenal! Giroud hattrick to join the greats of Welbeck and Bendter

efb

Frequency: 11097
Sysmbol Rate: 23000
Polarity: Vertical (V)

efb

Quote: grottyblotty
11097
V
23.0
2/3
DVB-S2
8PSK

You'l be grand now.

tayto lover

AdamD wrote: »

Am I the only one who had to google that?

Very few of us able to understand the big words and speak proper

Shanotheslayer

tayto lover wrote: »

Very few of us able to understand the big words and speak proper

I see what you did there...

efb

Flaked out on the couch with duvet. No booze cos of op- but but drops on eyes to make viewing less painful!

COYG!!!

LuckyLloyd

You'd have to doubt Monaco. I hope they can finish the job, but this is certainly the best shot a team has had of overturning a two goal first leg home deficit imo.

Quazzie

Turn in ITV


See Scholes


Turn back on TV3

bad2dabone

Nothing to lose here.

Come on arsenal

Rayne Wooney

Monaco are solid and decent going forward can see them winning this

efb

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

Monaco are solid and decent going forward can see them winning this

I hope they get KO'D

efb

Shut up Andy Townsend

tayto lover

We are weak in the center of the park. No penetration.

JPA

efb wrote: »

Shut up Andy Townsend

Ya, he hasn't a clue.