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Arsenal vs. AS Monaco
UEFA Champions League
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Emirates Arsenal Stadium, London (thanks, UEFA branding rules!)
11.45 AM PT/2.45 PM ET/7.45 PM BT
US TV: Fox Sports 1/Fox Soccer2Go | Worldwide TV listings livesoccer.tv
It was nice to see an English team get mauled by Barcelona in the round of 16 and not have to feel suicidally depressed about it, wasn't it? Arsenal avoid that fate for at least another round as they face AS Monaco in the first knockout round, the home leg of which is of course today. Otherwise why would I be writing this?
Anyway, as mentioned yesterday, Arsenal are in the same health they were at the weekend - Jack Wilshere will probably be saved for the weekend, and there's some debate whether Welbeck or Walcott will start, but otherwise it's pretty much the same lineup as we saw against Palace.
Monaco are pretty banged up at the moment, with four of their best defenders out either via injury or suspension. If ever a game was "ripe for the picking", it's this one - if Arsenal can break down Monaco's stodgy yet patchwork defense, they should be able to win this leg, hopefully without conceding a goal in the process.
LINEUPS:
#Arsenal team to play @AS_Monaco: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Cazorla, Sanchez, Ozil, Welbeck, Giroud
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) February 25, 2015
#Arsenal subs: Szczesny, Gabriel, Monreal, Chambers, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott #AFCvMON
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) February 25, 2015
H-1 : la Compo ! Subasic, Elderson, Wallace, Abdennour, Touré, Fabinho, Moutinho, Kondogbia, Dirar, Martial, Berbatov #ARSASM #GoMonaco
— AS MONACO (@AS_Monaco) February 25, 2015
Remplaçants : Stekelenburg, Kurzawa, Diallo, Matheus, Silva, Traoré, Ferreira Carrasco #ARSASM #GoMonaco
— AS MONACO (@AS_Monaco) February 25, 2015