Arsenal entertain Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday night looking to make it past this stage of the competition for the first time in five years.
The home side, who have qualified for the knockout phase of Europe’s premier club competition for the 15th year in a row, will start as favourites to progress to the quarter-finals after winning eight of their previous nine matches.
However, Monaco arrive in north London on the back of their own impressive run of late, with Leonardo Jardim’s side having lost just one of their last 17 games in all competitions following Friday’s 1-0 win at rivals Nice, a result that saw them move up to fourth in the Ligue 1 standings.
The Arsenal back four will need to keep a close eye on Monaco forward Dimitar Berbatov at the Emirates, with the former Tottenham Hotspur favourite the visitors’ top scorer this season with 16 goals in total.
Team news
Arsenal will be without Aaron Ramsey (hamstring), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin), Mikel Arteta (ankle) and Mathieu Debuchy (shoulder) at the Emirates on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Monaco may have both Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco (thigh) and France defender Layvin Kurzawa (bruised quadriceps) missing through injury.
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This is the first-ever competitive meeting between Arsenal and Monaco.
Auxerre are the last French team to beat Arsenal, in the 2002/03 Champions League group stages (2-1 at Highbury).
Arsenal are the only team, alongside Real Madrid, to have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League in every season since the new format in 2003/04. They have however been knocked out in the last 16 in each of the last four seasons.
Arsenal haven’t conceded a single goal at the Emirates in three Champions League games against French opposition.
Monaco hadn’t reached the knockout stages of the Champions League since 2004/05 when they were eventually eliminated out by PSV Eindhoven in the last 16.
Monaco have gone through against English clubs in their last three knockout encounters: in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup quarter finals v Newcastle, in the 1997/98 Champions League quarter finals v Manchester United and in the 2003/04 Champions League semi-finals v Chelsea.
Monaco have won none of their seven games away from home in the knockout stages of the Champions League (D2 L5).
Monaco are the last French team to reach the final of the Champions League. It was in 2004 when they lost 3-0 to Jose Mourinho’s Porto.
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