It would normally be over by now, the Champions League group stage done and dusted, and yet Arsenal know they must go again for two more ties; a test of their physicality, the depth of their reserves, as well as their resolve.
The idea is to attack the extra games in January and make sure they do not have to play two more in the playoff round in February; to zoom straight into the round of 16. It continues to look pretty good.
This was the toughest fixture Arsenal had left in the elongated group phase and it was one they threatened to win comfortably before flirting with throwing it away and then winning comfortably.
Bukayo Saka made the difference. Again. He scored the opening goal on 34 minutes, which was set in motion by Myles Lewis-Skelly, the 18-year-old bristling with assurance on his full Champions League debut.
When Saka scored again towards the end of the game, it was to kill off a Monaco revival that should not have been possible but was made so by Arsenal’s first-half profligacy – Gabriel Jesus was the main culprit – and a half-time tactical tweak from Adi Hütter.
The Monaco manager was crestfallen when it all went wrong; he would describe Saka’s second goal not so much as a collective breakdown by his team but a “gift”. The captain, Thilo Kehrer, played a long, slow pass across the face of his own goal, which Mohammed Salisu, on the lefthand side, had to wait an age for. He looked nervous and promptly undercooked a ball back to his goalkeeper, Radoslaw Majecki.
Kai Havertz, on as a substitute, brought the pressure; Majecki could only jab at Saka and, when he controlled, the rest was a formality. Havertz flicked home the third from a Saka pass, although the dubious goals panel seemed to want to call it a Kehrer own goal. The bottom line for Arsenal was that they surged up to third in the longest league table of all-time. They will like their chances in their final group fixtures – at home to Dinamo Zagreb; away against Girona.
Arteta was without five defenders through injury and the big move had been the selection of Lewis-Skelly at left-back; he was asked to step up into midfield and his standout moment was on the breakthrough goal.
Martin Ødegaard had played a crossfield pass to him and Lewis-Skelly could see Eliesse Ben Seghir coming at him, looking for the steal and a quick transition. He simply tricked around him, showing his physicality as he did so, before punching an excellent pass up the left for Jesus. When Jesus crossed, Saka had a tap-in at the far post.
Champions League roundup: Barcelona take up Liverpool chase
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Barcelona moved into second place in the Champions League table thanks to a thrilling 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund.
Serhou Guirassy quickly cancelled out goals from Raphinha and Ferran Torres in the second half in Germany. But Torres struck again with five minutes left to secure Barça a fifth win from their six group games and leave them three points behind leaders Liverpool with two matches left. Dortmund’s second defeat – their previous one coming away to Real Madrid leaves last season’s runners-up a point outside the top eight.
Lille are among six teams all on 13 points, two behind Barca and one above Dortmund, after recovered from throwing away a two-goal lead to beat Storm Graz 3-2 thanks to Hakon Arnar Haraldsson's 81st-minute winner.
Atlético Madrid extended their winning streak to 10 matches in all competitions by beating Slavic Bratislava 3-1 and boosting their hopes of avoiding a two-legged playoff to reach the last 16.
Julián Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann scored in the first half to put the Spanish side in control. David Strelec’s penalty pulled one back for the Slovakian champions, but Griezmann quickly added his second as Diego Simeone’s side recorded their fourth victory from six group games to sit level on points with Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
Milan moved on to 12 points after Tammy Abraham’s 87th-minute winner earned a 2-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade.
Benfica were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Bologna, Feyenoord beat Sparta Prague 4-2 to move into a playoff place and Stuttgart thrashed bottom club Young Boys 5-1.
In the night’s one Europa League match, Inaki Williams scored twice as Athletic Bilbao went top of the table with a 2-0 win at José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
It was something of a relief for Jesus. The focal point of Arsenal’s formation had been the focal point until then for the wrong reasons, as he blew two gilt-edged chances, the first a one-on-one with Majecki after a long Jakub Kiwior ball. Jesus still has only one goal to his name this season – in the Carabao Cup at Preston.
Arsenal threatened to cut loose after Saka’s first. Monaco had been good in the first 20 minutes or so but Arteta’s team had started to push them back, to assume control. Now Ødegaard looked to turn the screw. He teased with his dancing feet; he drove the team with his energy.
Gabriel Martinelli had guided a shot off target when Ødegaard tore into Kehrer, who had been sold short by Soungoutou Magassa, winning the ball and rushing through for a one-on-one against Majecki. He dragged wide; another glaring Arsenal miss. There would be another one before the interval. It was Ødegaard with the lovely pass but Martinelli shot wastefully wide.
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Hütter had matched Arsenal up, mirroring their 4-3-3 system but he went to 4-2-3-1 for the second half. He introduced Takumi Minamino on the left and Monaco pushed higher, the full-backs, as well. Kehrer flashed a header off target from a free-kick when he might have scored and there was a greater fluidity about Hütter’s team, more options in central areas.
Monaco wanted to show why they have enjoyed their first appearance in the group phase since 2018-19; how they were able to beat Barcelona at home in their opening tie.
The game had a different feel. Monaco should have been out of contention – four or five down by half-time, as Arteta put it. Now, they sensed that the equaliser was there for them. Breel Embolo blew a golden chance after Minamino had rolled the ball into him, lashing wide of the bottom corner. Minamino also had a chance.
The game would lurch away from Monaco; a case of them directing heavy fire at their own feet. Arsenal were not complaining, Saka in particular.
