Monaco v Arsenal Preview: Form, Team News, Key Match-Ups & Stats

Arsenal face a near-impossible task of overturning a 3-1 first leg home defeat as they travel to Monaco for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Premier League side were beaten by three counter-attack goals and some poor defending as Leonardo Jardim’s side were excellent in defending.

Monaco will have had nearly 24 hours additional rest since the weekend having beat SC Bastia 3-0 on Friday night whilst Arsenal face West Ham on Saturday.

If you’re an Arsenal fan traveling to support your team away to Monaco – good luck! You should take the time to check Cheaphotels.org and other hotel booking sites for for affordable hotels nearby Stade Louis II in Monaco.

Form

AS Monaco WLDWW

Jardim’s side are in excellent form of late – their only defeat was at Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup. They had held the defending champions 0-0 in the league game the weekend before. Monaco have conceded only two goals in their last 13 league games and only two goals in their seven Champions League games this season.

Arsenal WWWLW

Arsenal’s form domestically prior to facing West Ham is excellent – four successive Premier League wins and six in a row if you add the FA Cup to that. Their first leg shock defeat was a real hiccup for Arsène Wenger’s side. The task at hand given how Arsenal struggled to dream down the French side at the Emirates is all that harder abroad with little rest in between their Premier League game.

Team News

Monaco will remain without Tiemoué Bakayoko, Andrea Raggi and Lacina Traoré who all missed the first leg. Ricardo Carvalho and Jérémy Toulalan are still doubtful. Goalscorers from the first leg, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco also have doubts over their chances of playing.

Wenger’s travelling party will be without Mathieu Debuchy, Gabriel Paulista, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain due to injuries. Wenger’s side do have Mathieu Flamini back in contention after nearly a month out injured.

Key Matchup

Olivier Giroud vs Aymen Abdennour

Olivier Giroud had two glorious chances in the first leg that if he’d had scored either at the time the second leg could have looked so much different. It wasn’t meant to be. If Arsenal are to find a way back in this tie it could very well be from their sole striker should he get himself in similar great goalcoring positions.

Key Stats

2 – AS Monaco have conceded only two goals in their 7 Champions League games this season.

4 – Arsenal have been eliminated at this round in each of the previous four seasons.

16 – Monaco are undefeated in their last 16 matches at the Stade Louis II stadium in all competitions, conceding only four goals during this run.