Goals: Arsenal—Oxlade-Chamberlain 90'+1; AS Monaco—Kondogbia 38’ - Berbatov 53’ - Carrasco 90'+4
Recap: Ninety minutes of Champions League football saw AS Monaco defeat Arsenal 3-1 on Wednesday.
Chances were few and far between in the opening 45 minutes. Only one of a combined eight shots managed to land on target. Unfortunately for the hosts, it was the only one that mattered. A deflected strike from Geoffrey Kondogbia left goalkeeper David Ospina befuddled and Arsenal down a goal after the first half. More of the same followed in the second. A clinical counter-attack was polished off by Dimitar Berbatov, doubling Monaco’s lead.
Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco sealed the 3-1 victory in the dying seconds of the match.
Key Moment: It took nearly 60 minutes for Arsenal to record their first shot on target. A right-footed strike from Alexis Sanchez was dangerously parried to the feet of Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman, however, sent a glaring opportunity to cut the deficit in half into the stands.
Man of the Match: Kondogbia did more than deliver the first blow. A force on both sides of the ball, the 22-year-old finished with a goal and six tackles.
Lesson Learned: Lost in Arsenal’s predictable failure is a comprehensive performance from AS Monaco. The French outfit conceded just one goal in group play, albeit to less formidable competition the likes of Benfica and Zenit St. Petersburg. Following Wednesday’s result, that record can no longer be questioned. Their ability to defend will cause any club headaches should they advance to the quarterfinals.
Up Next: Both clubs return to league action on Mar. 1, with Arsenal hosting Everton and AS Monaco battling Paris Saint-Germain.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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