Arsenalfell at the first hurdle in the Champions League for a fifth year in arow, despite beating Monaco 2-0, in their second leg at the StadeLouis.
TheGunners needed to score three goals, and Monaco to score none in order tomitigate the damage that was done at the Emirates last month. Their manager,Arsene Wenger, hoped for the best, as he fielded a front three of his bestgunners, namely, Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez.
Lastnight Wenger’s team were a different animal and they demonstrated that they wereone of England’s most in-form teams, as they broke down a formidable Monacodefence that had not conceded any goals at home in the Champions League thisseason.
TheGunners’ slick passing produced a string of first –half chances; there was hopeof a comeback from their 3-1 deficit in the 36th minute, whenthe in-form Olivier Giroud swivelled and hooked a right-footed shot into theroof of the net for the opener.
DannyWelbeck, then nearly doubled Arsenal’s lead shortly after, but was denied by agoal-saving block from Monaco centre-half Abdennour, as the Gunners would havebeen optimistic going into the break at 1-0.
MesutOzil, selected ahead of Aaron Ramsey, came under fire for his performance. But thesubstitute Ramsey, who came on in the second half, scored a second with aferocious drive inside the area with eleven minutes remaining. Giroud then had another chance to get Arsenalthe goal they were so craving, but his volleyed effort from a free kick wasclawed out by Subasic; this was the last chance of note, as Monaco held on toreach the last eight.
It was a disappointingend to Arsenal’s European campaign, as they failed to get the third goal theyneeded to progress.
Monacohave now reached the quarter-finals of the Champions league for the first timesince 2004, when the beat Real Madrid to go on to the final, where they lost toJose Mourinho’s Porto 3-0.
Arsenal were lefthaving to settle with the same scoreline as their last-16 defeat to BayernMunich in 2013, butthis will be a bitter pill to swallow as the Gunners leave the Cote D’Azurfrustrated and perplexed.
