Arsenal v Monaco review – Stunned Gunners killed by caution

It was important for Arsenal to get a good start and put early pressure on Monaco tonight and we did that for about FIVE MEASLY MINUTES, and it was all downhill from there. After using our pace and the wide areas well and getting the French team in a bit of a spin, the visitors soon started to settle down and get into the game and the Gunners just let them.

Once they had a couple of good opportunities it made us cautious as concern about their defensive record and the away goal problem kicked in. The attitude was understandable but it ruined our play, especially going forwards as moves broke down and we couldn’t find any fluency, which made Monaco’s job easy and let them attack us. With great success.

There were some 1st half chances for Arsenal and better ones than the few Monaco managed, but after Giroud spurned one before halftime, we were punished with the away goal that we had been desperate to avoid. Kondogbia’s deflected shot left Ospina rooted. A bit unlucky but he should never had the freedom of the pitch.

It was going badly wrong and Wenger had a massive job to get the Gunners sorted out for the second half. A good start would be to replace the lacklustre Ozil. The manager made no changes but we should have been level after 5 minutes when Cazorla won a free kick and found him but his header was poor.

THen we hit the self destruct and left ourselves exposed at the back. Mertesacker lost his man who found Berbatov to score a second and leave our Champions League hopes in tatters. When Giroud ballooned over an open goal, that seemed to seal our doom.

Giroud went off for Walcott who almost got us back into it but his shot was blocked and then he deflected Welbeck’s on target shot over the bar to just about sum up our night. Chamberlain had replaced Coquelin and our pressing left us dangerously exposed to a third.

They nearly did before the Ox gave us a lifeline right at the end with a great curling strike, only for him to then make the mistake that let Monaco crush our fading hopes with a breakaway third goal.

An absolute disaster for Arsenal.

Tags Giroud Kondogbia ox Ozil

210 Comments

  1. I can’t get over that performance. I’ve stayed silent for the last two hours but it’s just so wrong from top to bottom.

    Manager: why play Welbeck and Giroud when we saw against Liverpool what happens – they both try and play in the middle and there’s no width in the team at all.

    Goalkeeper: I think Ospina could’ve saved Kondogbia’s goal. If he did, things may have turned out differently. The second goal he also could’ve got to I think. The third he was unlucky. They weren’t saves he ‘should’ have made, but they were possible in my view.

    Defence: Mertesacker is done. Finished. End of.

    Midfield: Did we even have a midfield? The amount of times Alexis went to the edge of the box and Cazorla or Özil were still standing on the half way line I’ve lost count, not to mention the amount of missed passes. No passes out wide to give width either. Were they scared to even go near Kondogbia?

    Attack: No need for any comment. We had chances not just to draw but to win that game. Good chances. Chances that 9/10 would be in the back of the net. Not good enough.

    Only players that can come out with any credit are Ospina, Bellerin, Koscielny, Gibbs, Alexis, Welbeck and the substitutes. They had bad games, not ‘doesn’t even deserve to wear the shirt’ games.

    1. The saddest part was they gave us space and possession at times and we couldn’t create goals. We created turnovers and were lazy getting back. I’m so tired of seeing Ozil give the ball away abd stand there. And he’s rewarded by not being subbed ever or late in the game. Oh Giroud, how I’ve supported you and you let me down. This could have easily been. I can’t believe we lost to a few counter attacks. Monaco was poised and they made us look ridiculous.

    2. absolute worse day of my life…
      got ignored by the girl i likes at school……..
      come home and watch Arsenal play hoping to better up my mood
      but…. WTF!!!!!
      my life is a mess…… ARG!!!!

    3. Can’t slate Ospina for the 1st goal, it was a full strength strike and he put himself in the right place to save it, he was tensed for the dive to save it and Mertersaker got in the way and deflected it by 45 degrees.
      Impossible to save at that speed.

  2. Team?
    Confidences in one another brings out belief in ones performance. I am not talking about skill or talent, I am talking about dying for each other till the end.

    Unfortunately this whole team doesn’t believe in one another…that is the underlining problem.

    People have been talking about Coquelin being the man in that position but I been saying he is no more than a squad man. Nothing against the lad, this is just the desire to be the best and that is achieved by confidence.

    Mountains can only be climbed by a team…you Never see a single man climb alone…because you can’t.

    Confidence isn’t achieved with Mertisacker in our defence, Coquelin in our central midfield and Giroud up front.
    Mertisacker doesn’t convince them in front a goal wouldn’t be conceded, that Coquelin will destroy anyone coming into his path, and Giroud will score every game.

    Again this isn’t personal, this is about being great and although being great requires members of all skill levels, the final 11 needs to be the best in there positions.

    Arsenal have entered financial strength in only the last 24months. Nothing is stopping them from being great. Kill me if you wish, but Wenger is the man still. He has brought us an attacking force only shy of a few key players, notably a forward…a figure as big as Henry.
    He has brought in a defender in Gabriel who loves defending and can take over from Mertisacker. This leaves a key solid central midfielder like Vieira. I feel in my opinion we need two Vieira’s.

    Than watch the confidences in our squad. Watch the belief that no one can walk through this team so easily, watch the domination in football.
    This squad only needs another CD, 2 x CDM (depending on Bielik progression) and a CF.

    1. @ARSENAL FAN I gave up blaming WENGER so will not start accusing the man, but he and only he is responsible for the performance of this squad, don’t remember seeing such a lackluster team in the past years, yes he bought Superstars so what, watch OZIL one good game 10 unnoticed, nobody wants to say it loud because he was our biggest signing but is also our biggest FLOP….but I will not just blame OZIL this team will not win because they lack Direction….WENGER is done, the buck stops with him period, we’ll just wait till his contract is over and will see then. Monaco f..ing Monaco and we cheered back then what a disgrace.

  3. People calling for per to be dropped after tonight. I’ve been calling for this since his poor world cup showing, the guy inly looks good when coquelin and kos, (or the whole mf) are protecting him. Enough disresepct shown towards Monaco, they were tactically spot on and totally bossed the mf. Again men against boys, too many pacey skillful players and were in need of a few workhorses, (the barrys and milners if this world). Tonight they were a team who played for each other, we were a team of strangers who looked lacklustre. I feared we’d lose tonight as we were due a howler sooner or later. Que fans saying ramsey or wilshire will be our saviour. Ps has steve bould been on holiday this week? Where the fook was our defence tonight?

  4. Regarding Mertesacker, you guys better get use to the situation and the “annoying” presence… He has signed a 2 years extension (Why? I guess only Wenger knows since he is clearly finished and has been for a long time).

    We have several “boulets” we are carrying around and will be doing so at least until Wenger leaves ( if he does one day): The likes of Mertesacker, Arteta, Wilshere (pathetic excuse for a football player… May be our worse midfielder), Welbeck (he is not top and never will be), Gibbs (when he can play) and more.

    I was watching the “Invincible” documentary and realised that it was “an époque” and this is, unfortunately, another one.

    Since 2006, we have achieve nothing potent.
    One “small” “ridiculous” FA Cup (and some fans were celebrating like CL and league winners… Sad! or what?) in 10 years and some fans still want to emphasise the “top club” argument.

    Not even near, not even close… Having a 60,000 seats stadium does not make you a top club… Sorry (trophies do, but we all know that).

    Arsenal is a good club, regular CL “participant” and “consistent” top four finisher. Is it an achievement? Of course it is… Many clubs would love to have the same record, but please, let’s not put ourselves with the like of Bayern M, Real M, Barcelona and so on… Because we are not on the same planet (check out our manager and check out theirs… Exactly, nothing to compare!!).

  5. By the way, anyone still feel we don’t need a new defensive midfielder? Or a new centre back? I hope we don’t need a new centre back, I hope Gabriel turns out to be top class, but I need to see more of him to be convinced we don’t need another new CB. Kondogbia just showed us how good a proper DM can be. Coquelin has been great for us and I think he’s good enough for Arsenal, but is he the world class holding player we need?

  6. #In spirited mood: lol# Well pleased with the outcome! May the onward capitulation continue unabated, until there’s sufficient awakening amongst all(special mention to hard-headed, butt-licking, shoe shinning saboteurs self styled as AKB)regarding the true nature and design of all the woes afflicting AFC: the anorexic faux-manager. A complete utter joke of a manager, perhaps, reflective of a complete utter joke of a football club.

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