Dimitar Berbatov will be hoping for a goalscoring return against his former arch-enemies Arsenal when AS Monaco come to the red half of north London for their Champions League Round of 16 first leg match on Wednesday.
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The Bulgarian is still remembered with affection for the 46 goals he scored for Arsenal’s local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a two-year spell at White Hart Lane before a 30 million pounds ($46.05 million) move to Manchester United in September 2008.
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He scored twice for Fulham at the Emirates in a 3-3 draw in November 2012 and, though he turned 34 in January, the Bulgarian heads back to London as Monaco’s top scorer this season.
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Monaco head to Arsenal buoyed by their 1-0 derby win at Nice on Friday which sees them fourth in Ligue 1 with just one defeat in their last 17 matches in all competitions.
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They also won 1-0 at the Emirates last August when Radamel Falcao, now on loan at Manchester United, scored the only goal in the pre-season Emirates Cup tournament against the hosts.
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But there will be very little similarity between that warm-up summer run-out and the real business of the Champions League on Wednesday.
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Monaco’s Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco is having treatment on a bruised right thigh while their France defender Layvin Kurzawa is also being treated for bruised quadriceps.
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Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim told Britain’s Sunday Sun newspaper: “Everyone considered us a gift, a lucky draw, so the luck fell to Arsenal.
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“It’s normal that everyone thinks Arsenal will qualify. I too think Arsenal are favourites but in football sometimes money and the favourites don’t win.”
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