In the Champions League match that will take place on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal and Monaco, who have been in a relationship for a long time thanks to the famous Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry, will compete for the title of champions.
The HBAgency
The HBAgency
After five matches, the two titans are tied for one of the remaining two automatic qualification spots for the round of sixteen in the United Champions League (UCL) table, which has 36 teams. The gap between them is only one position to be found.
Recap of the match
Before the start of the fifth matchday of the Champions League, it was not out of the question for Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon to score six goals at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. However, few people would have anticipated that five of those goals would be scored by the team that is wearing red and white.
As a result of the fact that the Green and Whites are no longer held together by the glue that Ruben Amorim provided, the Primeira Liga powerhouses were smashed by Mikel Arteta’s squads in their most recent match in Europe. The Gunners were able to move themselves into the coveted top eight slots with a 5-1 thrashing of Sporting.
Arsenal has won six top-level European matches on their own turf since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, surpassing both Shakhtar Donetsk and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League home affairs season. Only Barcelona and Bayern Munich have won more top-level European matches on their own soil than Arsenal has, earning seven victories each. Arsenal has also scored in each of their last eleven Champions League home matches.
Arsenal has already managed to keep four clean sheets in their last six matches in front of the North London crowd. Additionally, they have not yet suffered a home loss in any tournament this season, winning seven of their last eight matches at their headquarters. In the past, Arsenal had a difficult time keeping shutouts at the Emirates Stadium.
On the other hand, the Gunners’ prodigious abilities on the road failed them over the weekend, as they were unable to score a late winner in a Premier League match against Fulham that ended in a 1-1 draw. As a result, they are now in danger of falling nine points behind the runaway leaders Liverpool, provided that the Reds win their game in hand.
Monaco is only a marginally inferior goal differential that is holding them below Arsenal in the Champions League standings. Adi Hutter’s team is looking to right some wrongs from their most recent continental confrontation. Monaco has a goal difference that is marginally inferior to Arsenal’s.
Les Monegasques were on the receiving end of a 3-2 scoreline when Benfica came to visit the Stade Louis II. They allowed 1-0 and 2-1 leads to slip away as Burnley loanee Zeki Amdouni completed an amazing Eagles fightback. This occurred when their future guests demolished Portuguese opposition on matchday five.
The red card that was sent to defender Wilfried Singo early in the second half of Monaco’s match on November 27 can be ascribed to the late collapse that occurred on that day. However, the Ivorian player made amends for his actions over the weekend, scoring the first goal against Toulouse and then putting the finishing touches on a 2-0 triumph.
Les Monegasques have demonstrated that they are genuine contenders for the title of Paris Saint-Germain, and they are now attempting to win Champions League away matches for the first time since the 2014–15 season. They are currently five points behind the leaders, Paris Saint-Germain, and they are tied with Marseille for second place in the Ligue 1 table.
It was the last time that the away team won consecutive matches in the Champions League away from home. Their second victory coincidentally came against none other than Arsenal, whom they defeated 3-1 at the Emirates in February 2015, before suffering a 2-0 defeat at home in the second leg of that last-16 tie, which still resulted in Wenger’s team being eliminated thanks to goals scored away from home.
During Arsenal’s match against Fulham, Arteta deployed his ninth different defense of the Premier League season. This was a move that Arteta had no choice but to make because Oleksandr Zinchenko suffered a late injury, and Zinchenko is also unclear for the match against Monaco.
Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori are in the same situation as well. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu will undoubtedly be unable to participate in this match owing to knee ailments. Arteta’s defensive predicament may force him to make a difficult decision and bring one player back from the bench.
The fact that Kieran Tierney was chosen for Arsenal’s Champions League team is a clear indication that he should be considered for a starting spot on Wednesday. This would make it possible for Jurrien Timber to play the right-back position that he prefers, while Thomas Partey either goes into the midfield position or drops out totally.
In addition, Monaco will have to operate around a depleted defense for Wednesday’s game, but for separate reasons. Singo is serving a suspension as a result of his red card, and Christian Mawissa is also suspended for a total of bookings. Both of these suspensions are for distinct reasons.
Therefore, Hutter will have no choice but to introduce Mohammed Salisu opposite Thilo Kehrer in the middle of the backline. Meanwhile, Folarin Balogun will be unable to play against his previous team because of a shoulder injury. This will prevent him from playing against his former team.
The absence of Krepin Diatta (muscle) and Edan Diop (foot) further debilitates the attack of Monaco. However, the visitors have a gem in their ranks by the name of Eliesse Ben Seghir, who is only 19 years old. Ben Seghir has the potential to become only the second teenager to score in consecutive Champions League games for Les Monegasques, following Kylian Mbappe.
Despite the fact that opponents in the Premier League are aware of what to anticipate from Arsenal’s open-play sequences and are able to effectively double up on players such as Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, European clubs do not always do the same. As a result, the Gunners should anticipate experiencing more delight on the flanks in particular.
Due to the fact that the hosts continue to be as effective as ever from dead-ball situations, they have our vote to better their chances of advancing to the round of sixteen against a Monaco team that is struggling with defensive suspensions.
