Arsenal Left Stunned By Monaco

Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010 suffered a stunning blow as they slumped to a shock 3-1 home defeat by Monaco.
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The Gunners looked to have been handed a favourable draw but a display that plumbed the depths of incompetence and naivety leaves them facing a last-16 exit once more.
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Monaco, resilient at the back and capable of punishing Arsenal’s shoddy defence, took the lead in the first half through Geoffrey Kondogbia’s deflected shot.
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To add insult to injury, former Tottenham striker
Dimitar Berbatov added the second just after the
break. There was even time for Arsenal to cast away
the lifeline substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s
stoppage-time goal had given them as they were
caught hopelessly on the counter once more as
Yannick Ferreira Carrasco added a third goal.
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As Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim did a Jose Mourinho-style celebration sprint down the touchline, Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger looked crestfallen and no wonder.
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This stage has become Arsenal’s perennial stumbling
block but Wenger would have had high hopes of
clearing the hurdle against his former club, even
though they had lost only once in their last 17 games.

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But Arsenal were devoid of ideas and when they did
create chances they fell to the hapless, and on this
night hopeless, Olivier Giroud, who missed every one that came his way.
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The eternal optimist Wenger will still believe they can
escape from this hazardous position – but they will
need to produce something on a different level from
this dreadful performance to complete the salvage
job.
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After a bright opening in which Danny Welbeck
threatened and Arsenal had a penalty claim ignored
when Wallace appeared to handle, Monaco kept the
Gunners at bay in relative comfort.
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As Arsenal’s frustration grew, Monaco felt confident
enough to move forward with increased ambition
and the away goal they would have craved came
seven minutes before the break.
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Welbeck conceded possession and as Joao Moutinho
moved forward he found the impressive Kondogbia,
whose 25-yard shot took a decisive deflection off Per
Mertesacker to leave keeper David Ospina helpless.
Giroud had been presented with Arsenal’s best
opportunities but time and again the striker failed to
hit the target. In the first half he scooped Hector
Bellerin’s cross over then he turned Alexis Sanchez’s cross wide from six yards.
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And how Arsenal paid the price for his profligacy and their own defensive naivety as Monaco doubled their lead after 53 minutes. From their own attack, Mertesacker in particular deserted his defensive post leaving Anthony Martial free to set up the unmarked Berbatov, who steadied himself before thumping a finish high past Ospina.
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Giroud’s night got worse when he somehow tapped a simple finish over the top after keeper Danijel Subasic fumbled Sanchez’s shot – and with the fury of
Arsenal’s fans ringing in his ears, it was a merciful release when he was replaced by Theo Walcott on the hour.
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As Emirates Stadium emptied, Oxlade-Chamberlain,
on for Francis Coquelin, curled in a goal from 20
yards that at least offered Arsenal some sort of hope
for the second leg.
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It was typical of how poor they were, however, that
they somehow found themselves caught upfield once
more to allow the speedy Ferreira-Carrasco to race
clear and beat Ospina for what could be the decisive
blow.