The Daily Star Ireland
Arsenal bounced back strongly from their 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza, delivering a dominant 1-5 win over Sporting in Portugal. They continued their strong form with a 2-5 victory at West Ham, marking their second consecutive Premier League win after a 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest. In the Champions League, Arteta’s side is in the top 8, sharing points with their upcoming opponents, making this match a crucial one. Ahead of this game, Arsenal faced United and Fulham in the Premier League.
AS Monaco also enjoyed an impressive run, defeating Barcelona 2-1 at home. They followed this up with a 2-2 draw at Dinamo Zagreb in heavy rain, a 5-1 win against Red Star Belgrade, and a 0-1 victory over Bologna. However, in their most recent match, a controversial loss to Benfica (2-3) left them frustrated. Even when reduced to 10 men, they fought back, scoring a goal before eventually losing. Monaco also suffered a setback in Ligue 1 with a 2-1 loss to Marseille.
Arsenal has a relatively healthy squad, missing only Tomiyasu and Ben White due to injury. Arteta can rely on key players like Bukayo Saka (5 goals, 10 assists in the Premier League), Kai Havertz (2 goals in the Champions League), Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, and Brazilians Gabriel, Jesus, and Martinelli. William Saliba is expected to start in defense, while central defender Singo will miss the match due to suspension.
Monaco, on the other hand, will be without a few key players, including Coulibaly, Diatta, and young midfielder Diop due to injuries. However, they still have talented players like 19-year-old Moroccan international Ben Seghir, who scored his first Champions League goal against Benfica, as well as Embolo, Golovin (2 goals in Ligue 1), and Akliouche (2 goals, 1 assist in the Champions League).
Prediction
Monaco’s recent away form has been poor, with nine defeats in their last 13 Ligue 1 away games. Arsenal, on the other hand, has emerged from a tough patch and looks to be in strong form, winning two of their last three matches.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Monaco.
