Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud have spoken about Arsenal’s confidence that they can pull off an amazing result in Monaco ahead of what will most likely be a boring as shit 1-1 draw that leaves everyone a bit deflated.
Arsenal have to score at least three times to go through against a Monaco side that haven’t conceded that many at home in over three and a half years.
But in line with the manager talking up the team’s determination to give it a go, the senior players have had their say too.
“We are coming out of a great week with two important wins and we have a good level of confidence,” said Mertesacker.
“During the season, we responded well at times but we have to face the truth: we have to show a different face. We need to embrace the challenge.
“We are quite confident at the moment and we want to put things right. We are very confident that, even away from home, we can beat any team in the world.”
While Giroud said, “We are on a really good run. I think we learned from our mistakes and we will go there with a lot of confidence but it will be a tough game.
“We trust in our chance to go through and if we create as many chances as we did against West Ham, we can create hope.”
The striker received the backing of Arsene Wenger after his nightmare display in the first-leg. Since then he’s scored in every game he’s started, and the manager said, “Giroud owes the revenge to himself. He owes a great performance to himself, as all the greatest strikers want to do as well as possible on the pitch.
“He missed a few opportunities in the first leg but what striker doesn’t miss an opportunity. I really think he is at the international level. He has the right mental level.”
We’re not allowing ourselves to believe just yet, but an early goal and maybe we might let loose a bit.
I can see Giroud having an absolute stormer in this one and scoring every time he touches the ball. Monaco won’t know what hit them.
I just pray for a good outing.
If the miracle happens I’ll jump for joy.
3 seasons in a row and same story at this level every time….
Scratch that, let’s just be optimistic 4-2 win tomorrow COYG!!
The miracle will happen tonight! COYG
Triple hattrick and ballon of oz is his foorshure :p
I’d be happy with a 4:1 score line to us
Ramsey, Santi ( penalty), Monreal and Theo
Imagine ……
I know Arsenal will win this game; enough to go through? I don’t know. But let’s give it our best shot. We may just shock Monaco. If we get an early goal or at any time in the 1st half, Monaco will be in deep trouble.
Fact: We have never overturned any first leg deficit in Europe in the knock-out stages (on 5Live this morning).
What are the facts that give you optimism?
It’s called an opinion and just being optimistic. gz.
I know, there are lots of opinions on here, everyone is free to express theirs and be optimistic or not.
I was asking about facts.
Fact: past performance isn’t a guaranteed predictor of future performance.
There’s a fact for you
I’ll start – it’s a Ligue 1 team, not the strongest league or a top club like Barca or Bayern.
Get your facts straight. We were 1-0 down against Porto in the first leg. We won 5-0 in the 2nd leg where Bendtner scored a hattrick. Now shut up and be optimistic.
Correction, we lost 2-1 in the first leg.
I am looking for facts to help me (and others) be more optimistic.
Preferably ones like you mentioned (don’t know why 5Live didn’t mention that).
I’m surprised there aren’t loads possible, was hoping to be inundated.
fuck me i’m starting to get excited. you can feel everyone is really fucking pumped.
fuck
Just make sure we CoqBlock Monaco
if th players are as arf as pumped up as us
it,ll be a piece of piss
up the ARS!!
we’ve got nothing to lose and everything going for us. it’s a great time for a match like this. come on arsenal!
Nothing to lose? I cannot agree with that at half time in a two legged European tie.
This judicious downplaying of expectations on your part is practically a public service.
You should offer it for a fee before first dates, Apple launch events, attempts at Star Wars marathons, US-Iran negotiations and suchlike.
Damn right on that, 6 films? And you need to start drinking early to get through Attack of the Clones, it can get messy.
I don’t care if we go out, I just want our boys to leave their collective heart on the pitch. play with pride, play with confidence, and show everyone the first match was just a fluke ‘mare of a day at the office. UP THE ARSE!
Arsene would be proud of your ‘it’s the taking part that matters’ attitude
4-0 with a hatrick for Giroud. How is that for a Tuesday evening?
Giroud’s first hatrick, perfect match to do it. that would be awesome!!.
I could be wrong, but I think Wenger might line up like this: Ospina-Bellerin-Mert-Kosc-Gibbs-Coq-Ramsey-Cazorla-Ozil-Giroud-Alexis.
my belief is bubbling over.
Needless to say our success or doom lies in defence. I have confidence to forward line will deliver 4 goals. Can the backline ward off goals? Fuck yeah. Will they? They better do. Even a solitary goal for monaco will be catastrophic to our quest. #COYFG!
Arsenal is a team of creating and breaking records, and I believe alot will be shocked because its breaking that record set by Ajax in 1969…..
Yeah thats the kind of confidence that got us in trouble in the first place. Instead of thinking tactically, well it was a case of lets show them! Same as the home game against Man utd. We were killing them and they were absolutely hopeless, but they came away with win. Don’t wanna put my hopes up again only for it to be shattered, oh to be a gooner :-O
3-1 and then extra time and Ramsey scores a screamer..Monaco be like WTF just happened?
If we score 4, which we can, we just have to not concede 3 in order to go through, as if we win 4-1 or 4-2 we will still go through. Who says we can’t?
boy do I love it wen the pressure is off us! gon be monaco’s longest 90mins in a while!
I say we can. The boys are capable of doing it as long as they stay mentally strong.
On a side note interesting that the Chelski fans have Turned Fabregas – didn’t take em long to lose the love.
Excuse me if I’m wrong, but if we manage to score 4 past them somehow, wouldn’t they need to score 3 goals to progress? At the end of the day, whatever the defense record and things be, they’re up against a side which if plays at their level best, has a lot of goals in it!
Interesting
I put a tenner on Koscielny to score tonight… He has a knack for scoring in important games.. Pure warrior!
Watch this space… # COYG. #MiracleInMonaco
> “Arsenal have to score at least three times to go through against a Monaco side that haven’t conceded that many at home in over three and a half years.”
Maybe, but they haven’t played a team of Arsenal’s potential quality in all that time. The Gunners have scored at least 3 ten times so far this season, and won by at least 3 goals in all but two those matches. Let’s give them a surprise.
Not saying we will do it, but I am quite certain we can. As Arsène says, in football everything is possible.