Monaco 0 Arsenal 2

Arsenal were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of last 16 on away goals. It was heartbreaking even though we all acknowledged that it was a mountainous task to overturn the 3-goal deficit as we came so close to making history. Nonetheless, we take heart from our players' valiant effort in the second leg. They never gave up their hopes and gave everything to their cause to the final whistle. After all, we beat Champions League group winners 2-0 on their home soil, where they have an excellent defensive record.

Arsenal Wenger made three changes from the side that started in a convincing 3-0 win over West Ham on Saturday. Hector Bellerin, who was rested in the London derby, replaced Calum Chambers at right-back, while Santi Cazorla, who started from the bench three days ago, came in for Aaron Ramsey in central midfield. Danny Welbeck started at the expense of Theo Walcott. The travelling squad was virtually identical to the one that faced West Ham, except for the inclusion of Gabriel who had recovered from a hamstring injury with Chuba Akpom left at home as a result.

For the first 15 minutes, we were frustrated with the slow temp, knowing that we had to score three goals in the next 90 minutes. However, it was understandable that the Gunners started the game in a cautious manner, which they should have done in the first leg. The visitors upped the tempo and started commanding possession. Koscielny turned a free-kick onto the Monaco cross bar, but it was adjudged off-side wrongly. Finally, Arsenal grabbed the lead in the 35th minute when Giroud smashed the rebound with his weaker right foot into the roof of the net after having his initial attempt saved by Subasic.

Welbeck was unlucky not to score when his effort hit Abdennour, who was left on the floor without knowing where the ball was. The ball eventually trickled wide, but it could have ended up anywhere, such was the luck of Monaco. In another incident, we might have said that it would have been a soft penalty if we had been awarded a spot kick when Alexis was fouled in the box, but the Chilean receiving a yellow card instead for diving was a massive miss-justice.

In the second half, we continued our attack, seeking for two more goals. Özil's free-kick forced Subasic a finger-tip save. The introduction of Aaron Ramsey, who appeared to have hit some form against West Ham after his return from a hamstring injury, injected energy and purpose. Minutes later, Özil had a glorious chance on the edge of the box, but his shot flew just wide. The second sub of the night, Theo Walcott hit the post from Monreal's cross. Fortunately for us, Kurzawa only cleared the rebound as far as Ramsey, who coolly slotted it home.

As the visitors mounted pressure in their search for a third goal to seal their qualification, they had another great chance. Giroud almost steered Özil's free-kick into the far post only to be denied by Subasic's superb save, although the France striker might have been better off leaving it for the better-placed Alexis. In the end, we could not find the elusive third goal and our Champions League campaign came to an end for this season.

Prior to the match, the Arsenal fans' mood was mixed. Some were optimistic based on the encouraging number of chances we created in the first leg. On the other hand, there was this ominous statistic in which no team had ever overturned a deficit of 2 goals or more in the second leg away from home. We thought what mattered most would be how we played in Monaco regardless of the result. It was paramount that we maintained our momentum and not let the outcome affect the rest of the season negatively.

We take courage from our performance this night. The team learnt from their mistakes in the first leg. Our wingers provided width and pace, which lacked at home. Our players were mentally sharper, more focused and hungrier than 20 days ago. Overall, it was an impressive display. Hopefully, we will also learn from our experience in the last 4 seasons when our disastrous first games cost us dearly (this does not apply to the Barca game, in which we beat them 2-1 at home in the first leg).

The encouraging thing is that Arsene Wenger refused to let himself get down and his side seemed to follow his suit. Both Mertesacker and Ramsey emphasised their strong run in recent weeks, with their focus seemingly having already moved onto the domestic fronts. We still have a good chance of retaining the FA Cup and finishing second in the league is not beyond our reach, given our current form and Man City's recent wobble. Let's focus on the must-win game at St. James' Park this weekend.

Players ratings

Ospina: 6
As Monaco registered only 3 goal attempts and no shot on target, he had little to do.

Bellerin: 7
Made 5 tackles, 5 interceptions and 3 clearances.

Mertesacker: 7
Made 3 tackles, 3 interceptions an 1 clearance.

Koscielny: 8
Had a good game with 5 tackles, 2 interceptions and 10 clearances.

Monreal: 7
His run into the box and cut-back to Walcott led to Arsenal's second goal. Replaced by Gibbs in the 83rd minute. Hope he didn't get injured.


Coquelin: 7
Made 3 tackles, 1 interception and 1 clearance. Replaced by Ramsey in the 63rd minute.

Cazorla: 8
Made 3 tackles, 2 interceptions and 122 passes with a 86.9% accuracy. All-round impressive performance. 

Alexis: 7
He has to curb his tendency to dribble into trouble, needing to release the ball early to suit Arsenal style of football.

Özil: 7
Had 2 shots, one of which was on target. He needs to take more shots. Created 2 chances, while making 101 passes with a 84.2% passing success rate. His performance this night seemed to have totally split opinions among the fans and journalists. He may have lost too many balls for some fans' liking, but he also showed a glimpse of his brilliance in passing, skills, vision and ability to find space in the compact Monaco defence.

Welbeck: 7
Unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. He works hard, but needs to improve his ball control especially in the final third. 

Giroud: 8
Had 7 shots, of which 4 were on target. Scored 14th goal of the season, 9th in his last 11 starts.

Subs

Ramsey: 8
Replaced Coquelin in the 63rd minute. Made an immediate impact after his introduction and scored Arsenal's second goal.

Walcott: 6
Came off the bench to replace Bellerin in the 66th minute.

Giroud: 6
Came on in the 74th minute to replace Welbeck.

Manchester United 1 Arsenal 2 (FA Cup Quarter-final)

It was a fantastic result on so many levels. Arsenal have finally won at Old Trafford after 9 years and 11 attempts. The victory saw us through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, as well as making a big statement in which we can win in big games, in particular, away from home against big clubs. Danny Welbeck proved a point against the manager who deemed him as surplus to requirements. In fact, the man who he gave way to, Radamel Falcao, did not even feature in the game of this magnitude. As we mentioned in the last post, everybody in the footballing world (apart from Man U fans) wanted the Red Devils to be found out after they had picked up so many results without playing well. They were finally beaten by deserved winners.

Arsene Wenger made five changes from the side that started in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over QPR five days ago. Wojciech Szezesny recovered from illness in time to feature between the sticks in place of David Ospina. Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal replaced the injured Gabriel and Kieran Gibbs, respectively. Monreal was passed fit after missing out on the win at Loftus Road through a back pain. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came in for Tomas Rosicky. Above all these changes, what most surprised us, perhaps as much as Louis Van Gaal, was the deployment of Danny Welbeck in a centre-forward position at the expense of Olivier Giroud. Arsene Wenger explained his selection, stating that he thought the England striker would be ideal as the Frenchman's side could have counter-attacking chances.

It was Monreal who scored a fine goal (only his second) after some excellent interplay between Ozil and The Ox. Danny Welbeck's first touches were atrocious in the first half, unable to control any balls when he received them. However, he worked hard tirelessly and put pressure on the home side by pressing high up on the pitch. He capitalised on Antonio Valencia's error and took his chance brilliantly. Wenger provided a chance for him to show what he was capable of if he was given chances to play in his preferred position.

When Welbz was taken off in the 74th minute, he was relatively well received by the whole audience, despite some jeers from a section of Man united fans. There was a question after the match as to whether he was right to celebrate his goal against his former club where he spent so many years. However, it is wrong to question his loyalty. After all, it was his old club and its new manager that have decided that he was not up to its required level. All he wanted to do was to prove that decision wrong and he has every right to show his delight for what he had just done.

Another major talking point of this game was officiating. Michael Oliver earned plaudits for his brave decisions from the broader base of football fans. He never surrender himself to the intimidation of the crowding Man U players or the home crowd and demonstrated his uncompromising attitude towards divers. Initially, we thought he was just like other referees in charge at Old Trafford in the past, when he showed a yellow card for Hector Bellerin's seemingly innocuous foul within the first 3 minute. On the other hand, Marouane Felleini escaped a yellow card for 58 minutes after 5 or 6 potentially bookable offences. Some argue that Arsenal had a genuine penalty claim when Welbz was tripped in the box, but we weren't surprised when the referee simply waved it off as we knew it just would not happen at Old Trafford against the home side. We feared the worst when Michael Oliver pulled a yellow card out of his pocket when Bellerin's challenge was deemed illegal. Fortunately, the young Spaniard remained on the pitch until Wenger decided not to chance on his borrowed life any longer and replaced him with Calum Chambers in the 66th minute. We were further impressed when he booked Angel Di Maria for simulation and sent him off within 30 seconds of the incident for a second bookable offence when the Argentinian manhandled the referee. Then, when we heard the home crowd shouting for a penalty, the ref actually booked Adnan Januzaj for diving. Replays showed that it was an unashamed simulation. Michael Oliver's performance this night was pleasantly refreshing, especially considering that so many wrong decisions have been making headlines this season.

The result saw us through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup. This time around, the draw was also kind to us, with Bradford or Reading to face us at Wembley. We know neither of them should be underestimated, especially Bradford who beat us in the Capital One Cup in the penalty shoot-out. However, we know we are going into the game as heavy favourites because of our club ranking and our title credentials as the current holders. But that's more than a month away. We have more urgent issues of cementing our place in the top three and dealing with the second leg of the Champions League against Monaco.

Players ratings

Szczesny: 6
Although he made a couple of fine saves in the first half, he still hasn't eradicated his rash decisions to come out of his area while his two centre-backs were in control of the situation, or his desire to play the ball on his feet when Rooney was lurking.

Bellerin: 6
Made 3 tackles, 1 interceptions and 4 clearances.

Mertesacker: 6
Made 2 tackles, 3 interceptions and 7 clearances. For Rooney's goal, the two centre-backs were too far apart, allowing the England striker to run in between them too easily.

Koscielny: 7
Made 3 tackles, 4 interceptions and 4 clearances. Won 7 aerial duels.

Monreal: 8
Scored his second goal for Arsenal. Took his goal excellently with the side of his left foot.

Coquelin: 8
Bravely battled against Fellaini. Made 4 tackles, 1 interception and 1 clearance.

Cazorla: 8
Unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when his well-taken volley was denied by De Gea's superb save in the second half. Had 3 shots, 2 of which were on target. Made 6 tackles.

Oxlade-Chamberlian: 8
Stats-based Whoscored.com's Man of the Match. Provided an assist for Monreal's opener by cutting in from the right flank, jinking his way through defenders to the middle before he slotted a perfect pass into the Spanish left-back's path into the box. It is a shame that he will have to endure another spell on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury.

Özil: 8
His recent work-rate stats should silence his critics. He was linking Arsenal's midfield and front line, by tracking back, winning the balls and pressing. He was also taking on two Man U defenders to himself in the build-up to Arsenal's opener to make space for his team-mates.

Alexis: 8
Unlucky not to score when his shot was finger-tip-saved by David De Gea (we thought the Chilean skewed his shot at the first glance). Had 5 shots, 3 of which were on target.

Welbeck: 8
Worked hard and reacted quickly to the opponents' defensive error. Replaced by Giroud in the 74th minute. Had 2 shots, both of which were on target. However, his touches need improving.

Subs

Ramsey: 6
Replaced the injured Ox in the 50th minute. He had to take a yellow card to stop Man U's break.

Chambers: 6
Came off the bench to replace Bellerin in the 66th minute.

Giroud: 6
Came on in the 74th minute to replace Welbeck.

QPR 1 Arsenal 2

Arsenal claimed important 3 points on the night when all their rivals won. As a result, the north London club remained third in the table and amid a hotting up debate as to who will finish in the top four, they seemed to have become firm favourites among the pundits.

Arsene Wenger made two changes from the side that started in a 2-0 victory over Everton 3 days ago. To our surprise, Per Mertesacker came in for Laurent Koscielny, proving that the World Cup winner's drop to the bench for the previous game was merely a valuable rest given by the boss rather than punishment for his poor showing against Monaco. Francis Coqulin was passed fit after suffering a broken nose during the Everton game and started at the heart of Arsenal's midfield with a protective mask on. Tomas Rosicky, who scored our second goal against the Toffees, coming off the bench, got the nod ahead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who in turn was dropped to the bench.

On the subs' bench, surprise omissions include Wojciech Szczesny and Nacho Monreal due to illness and a slight back pain, respectively. Arsenal welcomed the return of Aaron Ramsey from a hamstring injury. The remaining places on the bench were occupied by Emi Martinez, Calum Chambers, Koscielny, Danny Welbeck, and Theo Walcott. Since his return from a lengthy injury layoff, Walcott has been deployed sparingly, which mystifies us.

The hosts were a more energetic side in the first 20 minutes or so, which came no surprise, given their advantage of extra days off after their weekend match against Chelsea was postponed. On the other hand, this game was our third game in 8 days. We struggled to keep possession and did little when we went forward during the period. In contrast to the number of half chances they created, we had no goal attempts to show. It was frustrating especially for those who thought this game would be a walk in the park, but we were happy that the boys did not rush their game. In fact, their patience was rewarded in the second half.

Arsenal, especially Rosicky, started the second half in a vibrant manner. In the post-match interview, Wenger pointed out that QPR's hard pressing and physical approach took its toll in the second half. Especially, it was too much for Sandro who had just come back from a knee injury that he suffered in November. After the Brazilian midfielder came off the pitch, Arsenal found more fluency in their attack. The first goal came from Arsenal's sweeping counter attack initiated by Cazorla's tackle on Kranjcar just outside the Arenal box. After quick passing from Cazorla to Özil, then to Alexis, Olivier Giroud was sharp enough to get onto Gibb's deflected effort.

The second goal followed in 5 minutes. To our delight, Alexis finally got on the scoresheet for the first time in 8 matches. Aresenal continued their ascendancy and nearly added another to their goal tally when Mesut Ozil's deflected effort hit the post.

But as usually, we had to endure another tense finale to the game as Koscielny and Gibbs combined to allow Charlie Austin have a shot at our goal, which went past Ospina. However, Arsenal held on for the remaining 12 minutes and came away with all 3 points to stay third.

A section of fans are not totally impressed with Arsenal's performance, especially their inability to close the game out, but if you look at top seven teams' performances this night (and the night before for Southampton), nobody claimed a convincing win, including the league leaders, Chelsea.

Having said that, Arsenal could have won more comfortably had the referee, Kevin Friend, made a correct decision, when Özil was tugged back by Karl Henry as the German playmaker ran onto Rosicky's low cross. Replays showed Özil's claim was legitimate, with a BBC commentator shouting for a penalty. In addition, Rob Green's magnificent form (as he usually is against us whoever he plays for) kept the scoreline tight.

We take heart from some good football and fluidity the team showed in the second half. Quick counterattacks leading to both goals should be a platform to build on for the future games. Furthermore, Arsenal's recovery from the Monaco nightmare seemed to have convinced the media that the Gunners have what it takes to achieve a top four finish mentally. In the past seasons, one bad result could have triggered the collapse of form to end their title hopes. The last two results ensured that Arsenal are back in their impressive form of 2015. In fact, this marked their first back-to-back away victory this season. They were resilient in this game. Although QPR stopped them from playing their passing game with physicality and long balls, Arsenal did not give up.

Now we face a stern test in the FA Cup tie with Manchester United on Monday. Our record at Old Trafford or against this particular opponent, for that matter, does not bode well, but it's about time we should beat them, isn't it? They have been playing badly and keep getting results this season. Everybody wants them to be found out (apart from the Man U fans, of course). It's a massive match with our hopes of retaining the FA Cup at stake. We can also make a big statement in our push for a top-four finish by winning a big game.

Players ratings

Ospina: 7
With QPR registering 3 shots on target, there was little to do, but he was alert whenever he was called upon.

Bellerin: 7
Made 2 tackles, 3 interceptions and 2 clearances. Going forward, made 5 crosses, none of which were accurate. 

Mertesacker: 7
Did his job on his return from the bench.

Gabriel: 7
This was his first physical test in the Premier League, in which many match reports concluded he struggled due to his inexperience. However, he made 12 clearances in his 36 minutes of action and won 8 aerial duels. He received some knocks and bruises from Bobby Zamora and had to be withdrawn in the 36th minute due to a hamstring problem. According to Wenger's initial prognosis, he could miss 21 days. Hopefully, he will get better soon. He proved himself a capable cover who can give Mertesacker and Koscielny a valuable rest every now and then.

Gibbs: 8
Provided an assist for Giroud's opener and combined well with Alexis on the left flank. On the defensive front, he made 4 tackles, 7 interceptions and 14 clearances, winning 7 aerial duels. Stats-based Whoscored.com's Man of the Match (although some claim that's because the site overrates the number of aerial duels won and dribbles). He was as culpable as Koscielny for Austin's goal by running away from the QPR striker.

Coquelin: 8
Another gutsy performance. We were a bit worried that the protective mask could restrict his sight, but it had no effects on his performance whatsoever.

Cazorla: 8
Had a great chance in the first half after a beautiful build-up, but his shot was parried by Green.

Rosicky: 8
Lively especially in the second half. Had 3 shots, 1 of which was on target. 

Özil: 7
Had 3 shots, 1 of which was on target. In addition to the incident involving a penalty claim, he was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet when his deflected shot hit the post. Created 5 chances for his team-mates. Covers more ground than any other player.

Alexis: 8
Sky Sports' Man of the Match. Scored his first goal in 8 matches to end his goal drought. His goal came after 2 missed clear-cut chances, including a one-on-one with the keeper. It was one of those goals the Chilean was scoring earlier this season during his prolific goal scoring run: deceiving the keeper into believing that he was aiming for the far post and shooting at the near post with no back lift, after twisting and turning his markers. The effect of the goal was obvious. He was brimming with confidence afterwards. The goal answered to an argument as to whether Alexis and Özil can play together. Alexis was effective in this game as he played with more positional discipline. He and Gibbs often overlapped on the left flank, with the former Barcelona man finding the left-back more often and using Gibbs' runs forward more. Giroud's goal came from one of those exchanges.

Giroud: 7
Scored his 10th goal in the league this season, continuing his impressive form domestically. Hopefully, he has had his Monaco misery behind him by scoring two important goals in two successive games.

Subs

Koscielny: 7
Replaced injured Gabriel at centre-back in the 36th minute. Overall solid, but he was at fault for Austin's goal by not closing him down.

Ramsey: 6
Came off the bench to replace Rosicky in the 86th minute. Good to have him back in the squad.

Welbeck: N/A
Came on in the stoppage time to replace Özil probably to just take the sting out of the intensity of the QPR attack. Had only 1 touch.

Arsenal 2 Everton 0

On Sunday, Arsenal were back in the battle for a top-four finish in the league after a disappointing performance and result midweek. They needed a strong response to the poor display, but three points were an even more urgent agenda after both Manchester United and Liverpool won earlier this weekend, while Southampton further stuttered, dropping all three points against West Brom.

The Gunners' performance in this game may not have impressed everybody, but they did what was required and a clean sheet and two goals to further improve their goal difference were a bonus. After we had suffered heavy defeats in big games last season, our first objective was to stabilise our defence and the results immediately after those games were always draws. So, coming away with all three points shouldn't be sniffed at only 4 days after such a devastating result.

Arsene Wenger made two changes from the side that started in the 3-1 loss to Monaco on Wednesday night. Gabriel replaced Per Mertesacker in the central defence. The World Cup winner was under fire after the poor performance against Monaco, with his lack of pace brutally exposed. As Wenger had already suggested some rotation, the change did not come as a surprise. The other change was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming in for Danny Welbeck. Welbz was lucky not come under severe criticism after the Monaco game as Olivier Giroud took all the stick because of his missed chances. We thought this change was another good decision by the boss. Perhaps, what surprised most  people was changes that he did not make.

There were calls for Olivier Giroud to be axed, but we think that Arsenal play a lot better with the French striker in the team. The best example was the reverse fixture earlier this season. Arsene Wenger started Alexis Sanchez as a centre forward, but the boss had to replace the Chile international for Giroud at half time. The French striker made a clear difference in the second half and went on to score a late equaliser to rescue a point. Another change in personnel some wanted to see was in the goal keeper position. Although David Ospina might have little to do with the three goals we conceded against Monaco, he didn't exactly cover himself with glory. Some called for the reinstatement of Wojciech Szczesny in goal, but Wenger stood by the Columbia international just as he did with Giroud and his faith in both were repaid.

Arsenal started in a cagey manner with the midweek debacle heavily on their mind. They had to withstand a period of Everton's domination in possession. However, Olivier Giroud's brave effort (although he should have scored) encouraged the team to up the tempo and the Frenchman eventually got his shot on target 6 minutes from the end of half time. Arsenal finished the first half on a high, but they were to allow Everton on the front foot again in the second half. That said, we think Arsenal dealt with Everton's attacking threat relatively well. Eventually, Rosicky's late goal sealed three points for the north London club and we were able to enjoy the rest of the game relaxed.

The ball retention was still a problem for us and a 45.8% possession rate indicates this was not Arsenal's typical home game. Arsene Wenger pointed out that his side could have done better with the ball, but he also emphasised the importance of the result. Indeed, the three points sent us back to third in the table, a point above Man United, 3 points ahead of Liverpool, with Southampton now trailing us by 5 points. Tottenham were engaged in the Capital One Cup competition this weekend, allowing us to stretch the gap further to 7 points. However, the big development this weekend was that we suddenly found ourselves just 4 points below second-placed Manchester City after their defeat to Liverpool earlier on the day.

Most of the media seem determined to give no credit to Arsenal's performance, but there are quite a few positives to take away from this game. Ospina reasserted his claim for the No.1 shirt, while the new boy, Gabriel, put in a promising performance after recovering from an early mistake. Olivier Giroud redeemed himself with a well-taken goal, while Mesut Ozil provided assists for both goals. Captain on the day, Santi Cazorla continued his sparkling form.

It was a good win to put behind the bad result on Wednesday. Hopefully, we can extend the winning streak in the league come Wednesday night.

Players ratings

Ospina: 8
Made a couple of superb saves to keep a clean sheet, especially a finger-tip save to deny Lukaku's effort. His decision was spot-on when Gabriel made a misjudgment of the long ball. His subsequent tackle was also impressive.

Bellerin: 7
Had 2 key passes and a shot, contributing to attack.

Gabriel: 8
He recovered well from an early mistake and went on to make a perfectly-timed crucial tackle on Lukaku. He grew into the game. Made a tackle, 6 interceptions (a stat that convinced Arsene Wenger to bring him in in January) and 10 clearances. His pace impressed, too.

Koscielny: 7
For the Monaco game, Mertesacker was made scapegoat, but Koscielny was not in a great form, either. He was a bit shaky in this game as well. Gabriel covered him brilliantly when Lukaku escaped the French centre-back.

Gibbs: 8
Made 4 tackles, 5 interceptions and 11 clearances.

Coquelin: 8
Brave committed performance. Made 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 8 clearances. Especially, he covered the far post in the set-piece defence and did the job very well. Let's hope he will not need an operation on his broken nose and return to the pitch as soon as possible.

Cazorla: 8
Had a good game. Had 3 shots, 1 of which was on target, but we liked his positive approach. Made 5 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 clearances.

Oxlade-Chamberlain: 7
Made 2 key passes, but his passing accuracy was poor at 78.8% (the team average was also lower in this game at 81%, though). 

Özil: 8
He should have scored when he had a clear sight of goal after the Ox delivered a through ball to him. That said, he does not deserve criticism. He created 5 chances for his team-mates, including 2 assists.

Alexis: 7
The dip in his form is somewhat concerning, but he worked hard. Perhaps, the opponents started finding out his movements.

Giroud: 7
He was a man to prove a point and his determination spoke volumes for that. He had 6 chances to score in this game (6 against Monaco as well), but scored just one goal. His conversion rate is poor, but the number of misses suggests he is always in the right place at the right time. 

Subs

Rosicky: 7
Replaced the Ox in the 82nd minute. Scored a deflected goal. It may have been a lucky goal, but we like his positive attitude. Great to see players taking their chances. Had 2 shots, both of which were on target.

Welbeck: 6
Came off the bench to replace Alexis in the 87th minute.

Chambers: 6
Came on in the 88th minute to replace Coquelin, who could not carry on playing due to a bleeding nose. Made 1 tackle and 5 passes with a 60% accuracy, stats that don't read well.

Arsenal 1 Monaco 3 (Champions League Round of 16)

It was an extremely disappointing performance and disastrous result. We thought we got a favourable draw which was likely to see us through to the quarter-finals for the first time in 5 years. Pre-match reports revealed that Monaco were without a few key players through suspension and injuries. On top of that, we had home advantage. Our away form has been patchy this season, but we were much more solid at home. We knew that Monaco were a very organised team with mean defence, but we had world-class attacking players, well, at least on paper. In contrast, their lack of firing power was well documented. On balance, we went into the game as odds-on favourites. In the pre-match press conference, Arsene Wenger vowed that the north London club would not make the same mistakes, but the outcome was still the same: we have thrown away the tie in the first leg.

Arsene Wenger made two changes from the side that started in a hard-fought 2-1 win at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Hector Bellerin and Kieran Gibbs replaced Calum Chambers and Nacho Monreal, respectively at full-back. With Monaco renowned for their quick counter-attack led by pacy wingers, these changes looked appropriate. David Ospina was passed fit after suffering a back problem against Crystal Palace, retaining his place in goal. Wojciech Szczesny occupied a space on the bench, as well as Calum Chambers, Nacho Monreal, Gabriel, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tomas Rosicky, and Theo Walcott.

For the first 15 minutes, we thought Arsenal didn't start too badly. They were on front foot, which was what they wanted at home against a defence-oriented team. Monaco's first goal was fortuitous as Kondogbia's shot took a heavy deflection on Per Mertesacker, which Ospina could do nothing about. However, Mertesacker was not totally innocent. In fact, Arsene Wenger was untypically critical about his player, stating "he turned a little bit and that's when you are most in danger with deflections - if you don't face the ball." Mertesacker's downfall this season is alarming. His lack of the pace is well known, but he has been compensating his shortcomings with his ability to read the game brilliantly, which has come under severe scrutiny this season.

On the other end, we were not clinical enough. Olivier Giroud had a few clear-cut chances in the 6-yard box, but it was just not his night. Considering that his improvement this season and his recent form (he was the Man of the Match on Sunday), those misses were somewhat unbelievable. If he had put away those chances, we could have won the game 3 or 4-0. In addition, Danny Welbeck's shot was blocked by a sliding-in Theo Walcott after the former Man United man ran onto a rebound from Theo's effort. Everything went against us.

The Ox's stoppage-time goal gave us a hope, which proved to be short-lived. The England forward was obviously devastated after he gave away the ball, which led to Monaco's third goal. However, he was 70 metres away from goal (not on the half-way line as Gary Neville claimed, though) and there should be defenders behind him. In fact, Koscielny was in our own half close to another Monaco player, but he did nothing to stop Monaco's counter-attack.

Arsenal were shambolic. It was plain that they lacked a leader on the pitch who has tactical astuteness and organisation capability. Ideally, we should have such strong leadership in a position, either as a holding midfielder or a centre-back. It was disappointing the fact that Per Mertesacker was one of the first Arsenal players to come out and criticise their own naivety. As a team captain on the day and club vice-captain, he should have taken more responsibility on the pitch. Knowing his lack of speed, he should never have ventured out under any circumstances.

Our big talking point after the match was who to blame. Was it down to tactical errors or players failing to perform? Judging from Wenger's reaction, he was as frustrated as we were. He knew how Monaco would approach to this game perfectly well. However, he could be blamed for not coming up with more concrete game plans and instructions. He allowed the players too much freedom, hence some players getting in each other's way or running around like headless chickens. With too many players wanting to play through the middle, the lack of width in attack was just playing into the hands of Monaco's compact defence. The introduction of Theo Walcott saw the Monogasque side's defence start stretching thanks to his positional discipline and runs in behind the defence. The freedom of movements has so far worked in some games, producing some breath-taking attacking moments, but it has its limitation especially against well organised teams.

Wenger also lamented the fact that his side rushed the game. He should have prepared his team better, reminding them that the tie is played in 120 minutes and this game is just the first-half. We have lost the first leg 4-0 against AC Milan, followed by a 3-1 and 2-0 losses to Bayern Munich in the first legs of this round in the past 3 years. Seemingly, the Gunners still haven't learnt the defence/attack balance in the Champions League knock-out stages.

Furthermore, Arsene Wenger was also critical about the team's naivety, but he did nothing to calm down the team or to encourage them to preserve a one-goal deficit when his side pulled back to 2-1 in stoppage time. Against Leicester in the nervy ending to a 2-1 win, he was seen instructing Mertesacker and Koscielny not to go up to the opposition box for corners but to stay back. The same cautions from the coach might have prevented a disastrous third goal.

Despite all the negativity prevailing post-match talks and headlines, the Ox's beautiful goal lit up the game. It was a great goal in its own right. Hopefully, more players will take a chance like the young Englishman did, rather than trying to produce easy-on-the-eye team goals on the end of hardly-ever-working one-twos in narrow spaces.

Now let's move on and concentrate on the domestic front, where we have still plenty to play for. We have two important league games coming in the next few days. Hopefully, we can get back to winning ways and cement our position in the top three.

Arsenal 2 Leicester City 1

After the very disappointing local derby defeat 3 days ago, Arsenal needed to bounce back and a home clash with bottom-of-the-table Leicester City appeared to have been an ideal set-up for returning to winning ways. The result and performance were a bit disappointing as we expected a much more emphatic response from the team. However, three points were absolutely vital in our push for a top-four finish and combined with Tottenham's 3-2 loss at Anfield on the same night, their superiority in the league table, as well as all the noises from the noisy neighbours, came to a swift end.

Arsene Wenger made 3 changes to the side that started in the 2-1 loss in the north London derby on Saturday. While the back-five remained intact, major changes were made on the offensive side. The big pre-match news was Alexis Sanchez's return to fitness. The Chilean's desire and tenacity were sorely missed in the local derby and the return of the talisman from injury was a timely boost mentally as well. Olivier Giroud was dropped to the bench instead. Theo Walcott came for Danny Welbeck, who also started on the bench. Tomas Rosicky replaced Aaron Ramsey in midfield.

Wenger's team selection perplexed us. As this was the second game in 4 days, with an FA Cup 5th-round tie looming in 5 days' time, some rotation was expected, but it appeared that the boss had made too big a structural change with the absence of a target man. A home game against a lower-ranked side was a good opportunity to get back to Arsenal's traditional style of possession-based football, but the set-up looked to be designed for counter-attacking football. After the derby, inviting pressure from the opposition did not look like a good idea.

Leicester started confidently, giving us a feeling that this game might not be as easy as widely predicted. However, it proved that we were more clinical in front of goal than Leicester and thankfully, Morgan lost his marking in a crucial time, allowing Laurant Koscielny to meet Özil's clever corner kick and strike it into the back of the net in the 27th minute. Arsenal extended their lead in the 41st minute, when Walcott smashed the rebound from Özil's fierce shot which Schwarzer could only parry back into the box.

Kramaric's 61st-minute goal made the game extremely tense. Arsenal's defence looked shaky for the first time since David Ospina's introduction to the back five. It was clear that the Saturday's derby loss severely dented the confidence of our defenders. In the end, Arsenal held onto the narrow lead thanks to Leicester's poor finishing and all three points stayed home.

However, the performance was far from satisfactory. The passing was atrocious once again. Is this just down to the lack of physical sharpness? What worries us is that this is not the first time we witnessed it. Wenger needs to get to the bottom of it. The good thing is that the players seemed to know that their performances were not good enough. After the match, Theo Walcott stated that "there will be quite a few disappointed guys in the dressing room even though we've won". He also urged the team to step up their game against Middlesbrough if they want to progress in the FA Cup competition.

As well as our passing, the referee's decisions were also appalling. First of all, he did nothing to stop Leicester's coarse approach to the game by allowing repeated fouls on our players. Alexis was on the receiving end of a heavy tackle by Upson, after which "he was not himself" according to Wenger. It took 64 minutes for Mike Jones to caution a Leicester player. Secondly, how both Wasilewski and Giroud ended up with the same decisions is a mystery. Giroud was running away from Schwarzer when the keeper's goal kick hit the back of the French striker, while Wasilewski was clearly trying to stop Ospina from delivering the ball to initiate the attack by fouling him. The Leicester defender's challenge could have hurt our keeper badly. Both players were landed with a yellow card, totally disproportional to what they have done.

The 2-1 victory came with costs in the shape of Ramsey and Alexis' injuries. Wenger admitted that the Welshman's injury did not look good and baffled him as this was the third time he suffered the same hamstring problem. Hopefully, fit-again Jack Wilshere can fill the void. On the other hand, Alexis seemed to have escaped a serious knee injury and could be fit to play on Sunday.

On the positive side, Mesut Özil maintained his fine form in this game. He played an instrumental role in both goals. Francis Coquelin was also as reliable as usual, making 5 tackles, after registering an impressive 9 interceptions in Arsenal's generally lacklustre display against Spurs.

The hard-fought win saw Arsenal move to fourth place before Manchester United beat Burnley the next day. The performance was disappointing, but the three points were priceless. We would take a win without playing well any day of the week rather than playing well and losing, like Leicester did, but we all know the results will catch up with you sooner or later. As Manchester City proved, if you are not at your best, the Championship high-flyers will beat you and one bad game can eliminate you from the entire campaign. Fortunately, the team seem to know it.

Players ratings

Ospina: 6
Made a couple of good saves. Although he might not have seen the ball until late, being beaten at near post was disappointing.

Bellerin: 6
Struggled to cope with Leicester's attack on their left flank.


Mertesacker: 6
Made a couple of crucial last-ditch clearances.

Koscielny: 7
Scored the opener. Made 3 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 9 clearances. An impressive 10 aerial duels won. Stats-based Whoscored.com's Man of the Match with a 8.70 rating.

Monreal: 6
He was our best defenders against Spurs (and even got into the Premier League Team of the Week for his battling performance in the north London derby), but this was not his best game. 

Coquelin: 7
Made 5 tackles, 1 interception and 6 clearances. He was a bit unlucky in the build-up to Leicester's goal. He did everything he could do to defend, but what can you do when the opponent traps the ball under his body? The ref should have blown the whistle.

Rosicky: 6
Quiet.

Cazorla: 6
A dip in his form was widely talked about among the fans. He was not standout player in this game, but he still created 3 chances and was unlucky not to score when his goal-bound effort drew a superb save from Schwarzer. 

Özil: 8
Widely recognised Man of the Match. Made 3 shots, 2 of which were on target, and created 4 chances. Great to see his fine form continue since his return from injury. 3 goals and 2 assists (3 if his shot parried leading to Walcott's goal is counted) in the last 4 games constitute some impressive form.

Walcott: 6
Scored what proved to be the winning goal, but he did very little apart from that. He should have scored when Özil's inch-perfect through ball found him. 9 passes with a 66.7% accuracy is a very poor stat. Didn't help Bellerin very much defensively. Replaced by Ramsey in the 73rd minute.

Alexis: 6
After suffering a knock, he did not look his usual lively self. Replaced by Giroud in the 67th minute.

Subs

Giroud: 6
Replaced Alexis in the 67th minute. 

Ramsey: 5
Came off the bench to replace Walcott in the 73rd minute only to be replaced by Flamini 9 minutes later due to the recurrence of a hamstring injury.

Flamini: 6
Came on in the 82nd minute to replace Ramsey and see out the victory.

Arsenal 5 Aston Villa 0

Arsenal were looking to register their third consecutive league win for the first time this season, going into this game. Although they were on a run of 4 straight wins in all competitions, that spoke volumes for their stop-and-start season in the Premier League so far. Now with key players back from injury and a defensive cover in Gabriel added to squad, our mood was optimistic. On the other hand, Aston Villa's decent record at the Emirates was a cause of slight concern (only Chelsea and Manchester United won more games than the Villans here). In the corresponding fixture last season, Villa beat us 3-1 on the opening day of the 2013/14 season and the referee in charge on this day was the same Anthony Taylor, who awarded a controversial penalty to Villa and sent off Laurent Koscielny for an unwarranted second bookable offence.

Arsene Wenger made 5 changes to the side that started in last Sunday's FA Cup tie with Brighton and Hove Albion. David Ospina was reinstated in goal, which meant that Wojciech Szczesny returned to the bench. We thought it was a fair decision since the Colombia international had so far done nothing wrong to be dropped, while Szczesny did not really prove himself in his last outing that he deserved to be between the sticks ahead of Ospina. Hector Bellerin started at the right-back in place of Calum Chambers, with Per Mertesacker paired with Koscielny after rested on the bench last weekend. Nacho Monreal moved to the left-back, which meant that Kieran Gibbs started on the bench. Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla replaced Mathieu Flamini and Alexis Sanchez, respectively.

A new signing, Gabriel was slotted into the squad straight away after his arrival from Villarreal, but he began his career as an Arsenal player on the bench. This was more or less expected as Wenger stated in his pre-match press conference that the Brazilian defender's lack of language skills could cost them goals. Besides, there was no reason why our first-choice central defensive partnership should be disrupted now Kos' achilles problem had seemed to be managed well and Per had just had a breather. Matheiu Flamini, last weekends' man of the match Tomas Rosicky, Chuba Akpom and Calum Chambers occupied the remaining places on the bench.

One of the major questions prior to the match was whether the Gunners could cope without their top goalscorer, Alexis. The Chilean was a doubt through a tight hamstring. Wenger believed he would unlikely risk the talisman and we agreed with him obviously with our minds on the next week's north London derby already. In the end, Alex's fitness was not even close to being considered for this game, but fortunately, we did not miss his service one bit during Arsenal's thumping of Paul Lambert's side. We had enough quality in the squad to see off an Aston Villa side, with Walcott and Özil shining in place of the impressive Chilean and Santi continuing his scintillating form. Who said Arsenal were a one-man team? 5 goals from 5 different goalscorers underlined Arsenal's squad depth. The absence of Alexis turned out to be a blessing in disguise, providing his injury is a short-term one. It opened the door for Özil to get back to his best, while the injury gave the Chilean a chance to get a rest that otherwise he would have refused to accept.

Another question was whether Özil and Santi can be played together. Prior to Özil's injury in early October, this meant either Özil or Santi had to be shunted to the flank as Wenger tried to accommodate Jack Wilshere at the same time. What we have learnt from the past was if Özil played on the wing, we might as well play with 10-men because the German playmaker was totally ineffectual on the wing either offensively or defensively. Coupled with that, Santi's recent resurgence to his best coincided with his return to the No. 10 position. Now Mesut Özil almost fully fit, which player should be dropped at the other's expense? In this game, Özil shone, while Cazorla maintained his buoyant form. Özil was initially deployed on the wing, switching sides with Walcott, but he was given freedom to roam, while Santi played deeper than the front three, developing a good understanding with Ramsey and Coquelin defensively.

Another positive was a clean sheet. This was Ospina's fourth consecutive clean sheet. Szczesny's father blamed the defenders for his son's poor form, but there is something in Ospina's presence that calms and reassures his defenders. The inclusion of the summer signing and Francis Coquelin in the starting XI is thought to be a major factor behind Arsenal's recent solidity in defence.

We desperately needed three points to move back to fifth in the Premier League as Tottenham temporarily leapfrogged us after their 3-0 win at the Hawthorns a day earlier. With Manchester United and Liverpool also having won on Saturday, we had to keep up the pace. After the emphatic win over the Midlanders, combined with Southampton's shock defeat to Swansea at St. Mary's, Arsenal are now fifth in the table, level with fourth-placed Southampton on points, with only one goal difference separating the two teams.

We are now on a roll, which sets a perfect platform to build on with a north London derby looming on next Saturday. More than bragging rights are at the stake as we look to push on for a top-four finish. Hopefully, with Alexis and Welbeck returning to the squad, the boss will face once again a pleasing headache. Let's hope all of our players will be at their best next weekend.

Players ratings

Ospina: 8
Pulled off two top-class saves to keep a clean sheet for the fourth time in as many appearances. The defenders' confidence in him is visible in their back passes because he is always where he is expected to be. His distribution was also better than Szczesny's. His quick throw initiated the counter-attack leading to the third goal by finding the Walcott's run on the left flank. Even after Arsenal had secured three points, the Colombian keeper did not drop his concentration level and made a spectacular save to deny Westwood's excellent long-range effort in stoppage time. 

Bellerin: 8
Defensively sound with 3 tackles, 2 interceptions and 4 clearances, and good going forward, delivering 5 crosses. Scored his first goal for Arsenal. It's great to find a capable deputy during Debuchy's long-term lay-off.

Mertesacker: 7
Won 6 aerial duels and kept Benteke's aerial threat at bay. He looked more like his old self in this game.

Koscielny: 7
Also won 6 aerial duels. Solid.

Monreal: 7
Another good game this time in his familiar left-back position.

Coquelin: 8
After an early talking-to by the referee, he controlled himself well. He has been improving in every game, no longer shown a yellow card in recent games. Made 5 tackles and 5 interceptions.

Ramsey: 7
Showed a good engine going up and down the field, making some good passes to set up chances for his team-mates. Had 2 shots, one of which stung Brad Guzan's palm. Replaced by Flamini in the 76th minute.

Cazorla: 9
Stat-based Whoscored.Com's Man of the Match with a 9.8 rating vs Ozil's 9.5. Provided assists for Walcott and Bellerin, hit the woodwork and scored from the spot. With sheer power of his spot kick, the goalkeeper got a hand to it only to direct the ball into the corner of the net. Covering more ground (11.6 km) than any other player on the pitch, his contribution to the team was enormous. Another stellar performance defensively as well, with 3 tackles and 1 interception.

Özil: 9
Sky Sports' Man of the Match. His exquisite flick to send Giroud racing clear highlighted his two major assets: vision and world-class technique. In the first half, his goal was chalked off, flagged for offside, but replays suggested it was a wrong call as he was played onside by a Villa defender. You cannot fault his work rate in this game, covering 11.2 km, only second to Santi among his team-mates. Set up Giroud's goal and scored a goal himself with a composed and inch-perfect finish.

Walcott: 7
Scored his first Premier League goal since the New Year's Day 2014 and his second in a row in all competitions. Great to see his hunger and confidence back after intercepting Santi's pass intended for Giroud and curling a right-footed shot into the bottom corner. 



Giroud: 8
Scored the opener, which was his fifth goal in his last 6 games. Set up a goal for Özil. Unlucky not to get on the scoresheet twice as his header struck the cross bar.


Subs

Rosicky: 6
Came in for Walcott in the 70th minute.

Akpom: 7
Replaced Giroud in the 70th minute. Made several good runs and earned a penalty. We want to see the 19-year-old given more chances. Amid the rumour that he is stalling his contract extension talk, Wenger was probably urged to give him another chance rather than the need to rest Giroud after the knock on his leg in the first half.

Flamini: 6
Came off the bench in the 76th minute to replace Ramsey.