It’s almost impossible to begin to think of
what to start with when writing this. To put it simply though, it was the worst
Arsenal performance I have seen in a very long time. To make matters worse, I
was in the ground for this game and from the very beginning we didn't even look
like a side that wanted to win the game. The whole match was littered with
errors but we must give credit to Monaco who played very well. Arsene Wenger
was tactically outdone by his ex-club who showed exactly why they've been in such
solid form this season. We only breached their defence late on in a game that
saw our defence more naive than I've ever seen them be.
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| Arsenal players stand dejected after another poor performance in the last 16 of the Champions League |
Monaco came to the Emirates and set up
brilliantly well, their midfield out did ours, they were sharp on the break and
resilient at the back. If this sort of result had happened once you could
forgive them but this error stricken game is something that has happened for
numerous seasons now. We’re on the verge of crashing out of the Champions
League last 16 for the fifth year running. Arsenal’s lack of progression is
quite staggering, as is their inability to turn up in the big games. At the
moment the victory over Manchester City seems a freak result, we played well
but Manchester City didn't really trouble us. Something at the club desperately
needs to change.
We went into this game being given the easiest
draw we could've hoped for. We’d finally dodged the Barcelona and Bayern bullet
that has so often seen us falter. AS Monaco would offer a different proposition
but it was a challenge we fell desperately short of. None of our big players
turned up and no one looked as though they believed they could win the tie, you
could see it on the players faces. It was a desperate performance from a side
that has actually been in pretty good form of late. The performance was as
frustrating as it was disappointing and it was the naivety of the defence that
cost us the game, not to mention Olivier Giroud’s shocking finishing.
I mentioned at the weekend how Giroud’s conversion
rate had become higher this season, and how he was in good form. After the
Monaco game on Wednesday night I have nothing but criticism for him. He missed
a great chance in the first half before skying an open goal into the stands in
the second. His night was summed up by being brought off on the hour mark to a
chorus of boos. It’s hard to work out why the belief wasn't there, but you have
to look to one man in the equation and that is Arsene Wenger. Until he goes I
can’t see this club progressing much further than the FA Cup victory last
season. A triumph that seems years back now. After the Man City game I thought
the defence had learnt, and I know you have to be attacking at home but the
amount of space we continuously gave Monaco's wide-men and central midfielders
was ridiculous. Their midfield completely overran us and Kondogbia was at the
heart of that. He scored a deflected effort to open the scoring and it was all
downhill from then on.
The line-up Wenger played has worked to some
degree in the past but it’s far too attacking and that was seen on Wednesday
night. Coquelin seemed to get dragged into going towards the man too often and
as a result their midfield players found pockets of space on regular occasions
and were able to dictate the tempo. At the end of the day Coquelin does all the
simple things right, but on a big Champions League night can he do it? From the
looks of it the answer is no. The worrying thing to me is the lack of World
Class players that were non-existent. Mesut Ozil was rarely in the game whilst Sanchez
showed glimpses but on too rare occasions. I had genuinely forgotten they were
even playing at points. Santi Cazorla was also poor in the middle of the park
whilst Danny Welbeck offered little.
It wasn't until Oxlade-Chamberlain came on
that we had some urgency in attack. Up to that point there was nothing; no
drive, no urgency, no impetus and most of the players looked disinterested.
Chamberlain brought Arsenal back into the tie with a brilliant effort from
outside the box but then gave the ball away as Arsenal conceded a farcical
third in the dying moments. There was no defence and the substitute Carrasco
ran in on goal and found the net via the far post. If you're looking for even
more to moan about then Ospina's attempt at saving the ball was a pretty poor
one. He seemed rooted to the spot rather than being ready for the shot to come
in.
We were products of our downfall, and the
defensive display was very alarming. Hector Bellerin had continued to give
pacey winger Martial space down the left throughout most of the game and he was
where the second goal came from. It was similar to Monaco’s third. Laurent
Koscielny was the only defender back and they countered leaving Berbatov to
fire home comfortably. Santi Cazorla’s reaction summed it up. He had raced back
and was effectively last man as he tried to put the Bulgarian striker under
pressure. As the ball rippled the net Cazorla proceeded to lean on the
advertising hoarding with a face of frustration and dejection. It was an
extremely sorry sight.
The incompetency of the defence was beyond
belief. Why on earth where we chucking everyone forward in the first leg? It
was beyond ridiculous and it’s hard to describe exactly how I felt as I walked
out the ground. That third goal has all but put the game to bed. We’ll have to
go to Monaco and score three to go through. That’s three against a team that
rarely concede. I had an ounce of belief after the Ox’s goal but that third
from Carrasco destroyed the fans, and will also have destroyed the player’s
morale.
Dimitar Berbatov said after the game that
Monaco wanted it more, and he couldn't have been more right. No Arsenal player
looked in the game. Everton is at the weekend and I’m expecting a huge
response. These are the months where our season has been known to slip. Please
don't let it happen again Arsenal!
The team’s line-ups:
Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker,
Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin(68), Cazorla(81), Welbeck, Ozil, Sanchez,
Giroud(60).
Subs: Szczesny, Gabriel, Chambers, Monreal,
Rosicky(81), Oxlade-Chamberlain(68), Walcott(60).
Monaco: Subasic, Toure, Tavares, Abdennour, Echiejile, Santos, Kondogbia, Moutinho,
Dirar(81), Martial(84), Berbatov(75).
Subs: Stekelenburg, Kurzawa(81), Diallo,
Carvalho, Silva, Carrasco(75), Traore.
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (GER)
Attendance: 59,868
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