3 Key Talking Points From Arsenal 1-3 Monaco: A Tale Of Two Polar-opposite Strikers

Arsenal need to rewrite the record books if they are to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010 after stumbling to a 3-1 loss to a Dimitar Berbatov inspired Monaco. The Gunners started brightly but it was the visitors who took the lead thanks to Geoffrey Kondogbia’s deflected shot in the first half.

Berbatov deepened Arsenal’s woes when he made it 2-0 early in the second half after another defensive mistake. But when substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored in stoppage-time, it looked as though the Gunners had a glimmer of hope. But Yannick Ferreira Carrasco added a third goal just before the final whistle to leave the Gunners with a mountain to climb as they visit the Stade Louis II in the second leg.

Here are the major talking points from the game.

1. Arsenal get what they deserve

After tricky ties against Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan in the past few years, the Gunners were over the moon after finding out that they would be facing arguably the weakest group winners in the Round of 16. If there was any explanation for their performance against Monaco, it was that perhaps their trip back from the moon took a lot more out of them than they expected as their 3-1 loss was nothing more than what they deserved.

When Oxlade-Chamberlain scored to make it 2-1, many thought they had gotten out of jail, but a late goal means that now they have to score three goals in a single game against a side who have only conceded three goals in the calendar year so far. While Arsenal’s defensive deficiencies are well-documented, against the French side, they failed even as an attacking unit. Their passing was pedestrian and utterly predictable, there was no pace or movement when they went forward and the result, was evidence of the fact that there are no easy games in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

2. A tale of two polar-opposite strikers

For all the pre-match talk of Monaco’s defense and Arsenal’s home record, this was always going to be a clash of two talented strikers. One look at the numbers will tell you that this looked like a foregone conclusion. After all, Berbatov has been far from prolific this season. In fact, he hadn’t scored in his last four games and this was his first Champions League goal of the season. But yet, when the moment came, he had the composure to calmly slot the ball home. From then onwards, the Bulgarian striker held the ball up beautifully and gave his side an outlet up front, which the visitors made utmost use of.

But at the other end, Olivier Giroud once again showed his inadequacies when it comes to leading the line, which led to him duly being substituted before the hour mark. Although the Frenchman holds the ball up well and brings others into play, inside the box, he is nowhere near as clinical as a striker for Arsenal should be. On Wednesday, he wasted not one, not two, not three, but four really good opportunities to score. Two of which were from close range, the other was a free header and the final one was an open goal from just outside the six-yard box. Defensive mistakes aside, the difference between the two sides was their ability in the opponent’s penalty area.

3. Kondogbia shows Arsenal what they are missing

When Monaco decided to loosen their purse strings in the summer of 2013, they signed  plenty of world class players. The likes of Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez all moved to the principality. But often lost in the background amidst those signings is a player, who is showing just why the club decided to spend €20 million on a 20-year-old who was then relatively unknown.

Ever since he signed for Monaco, Geoffrey Kondogbia has been nothing short of phenomenal and on Wednesday, with the spotlight firmly fixed on Arsenal’s attacking players, the 22-year-old defensive midfielder sparkled. Sitting in front of the defense, mopping up any loose balls, the midfielder gave a masterclass in marshalling his midfield troops. Simple passing, tenacious tackling and sheer power and ability to muscle through opposition defenders, Kondogbia was everything Arsenal needed in the summer. Although Francis Coquelin didn’t have a particularly bad game, his compatriot’s performance was evidence that the Gunners still need a world-class defensive midfielder.