With each team sharing close affiliation with the legendary Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry, Arsenal and Monaco fight over Champions League place on Wednesday’s league phase at the Emirates Stadium.
Two points actually make the difference dividing the two giants within the 36-teams UCL format and remain among the last two contenders for the final two automatic qualification spots in the last-16 stage after five rounds.
Before the start of the Champions League matchday five, six goals between Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio Jose Alvalade was still possible, but nobody would have expected five out of those goals to be scored by the side Reporting Lupara.
However, with the glue that Ruben Amorim had provided the Green and Whites disintegrated, the Portuguese Primeira Liga giants were thrashed by Mikel Arteta’s men the last time out in Europe and the Gunners moved into the coveted top eight spots with a 5-1 mauling of Sporting.
They have also beaten Shakhtar Donetsk and Paris Saint-Germain to UCL home matters season, and only Barcelona and Bayern Munich have claimed more top-level European home victories than Arsenal’s six since the 2023 / 2024 season; the side has netted 11 Champions League home encounters on the trot.
Previously fighting for shut-outs at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal has achieved four clean sheets in their six match-ups in North London, and Arsenal has not tasted a home defeat in any competition so far in the current season, having won seven out of their last eight home matches.
The Gunners’ superior goal-scoring ability away from home ended in a damp squib at the weekend though as Arsenal were forced to settle for a 1-1 Premier League draw with Fulham and by the time they next play, could be nine points off leaders Liverpool if the latter side triumph in their match in hand.
Only a little worse goal differential is keeping Monaco below Arsenal, who have ten points from five Champions League games so far this season, as Adi Hutter's team looks to make amends for their most recent European match.
Les Monegasques lost 3-2 to Benfica when they visited the Stade Louis II, allowing 1-0 and 2-1 leads to slip as Burnley loanee Zeki Amdouni completed an incredible Eagles comeback, while their expected hosts destroyed Portuguese opponents on matchday five.
A little worse goal differential is keeping Monaco below Arsenal, who have ten points from five Champions League games so far this season, as Adi Hutter's team looks to make amends for their most recent European match.
Les Monegasques lost 3-2 to Benfica when they visited the Stade Louis II, allowing 1-0 and 2-1 leads to slip as Burnley loanee Zeki Amdouni completed an incredible Eagles comeback, while their expected hosts destroyed Portuguese opponents on matchday five.
Oleksandr Zinchenko suffered a late injury in Arsenal's match against Fulham, forcing Arteta to make his ninth different defense of the Premier League season. Zinchenko is also doubtful for the match against Monaco.
Due to Singo's ban after his red card and Christian Mawissa's suspension for a tot-up of bookings, Monaco will also be playing with a reduced defense on Wednesday, albeit for different reasons.
These teams have only met once before in this competition, in 2014–15, and they split the results one win each time. Although Monaco has defeated English opponents five times in their last seven meetings, this will be the first time they have faced each other since 2017. Since the beginning of the previous season, Arsenal has won six home games in the Champions League, which is second only to Barcelona and Bayern Munich (seven each).
The hosts are set as the short-priced favorites in this match even though both teams are tied on points after five rounds. Let's examine the important statistics and form instructions.
