Arsene Wenger has stressed that Arsenal need to minimise their mistakes and guard against conceding an early goal against Monaco tonight.
Arsenal are aware of their recent failings in the last 16 of the Champions League, where they have been eliminated for the last four seasons, and the club are desperate to get over the hurdle which has consistently tripped them up at this stage of the competition.
Though they are up against comparatively easier opponents in the form of Monaco compared to last few years, Wenger is aware of Leonardo Jardim side’s record in the Champions League this season, where they had the best defensive record in the group stage.
Learning from the experience in the last four seasons, the Frenchman stressed that Arsenal need to minimise their mistakes and guard against conceding an early goal as the margins of defeats have been miniscule.
“The challenge for us is not to make mistakes”, Wenger told L’Equipe.
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“We realised from our experience in the last four seasons, where we have been knocked out in this stage, that the margin of defeat was either away goals or a one goal deficit.
“In three out of those four ties, we conceded a goal in the first 30 minutes of the first leg, which killed us”, the Frenchman lamented.
Arsenal will welcome Monaco for the first leg of their tie to Emirates Stadium later tonight and travel to France for the second leg at Stade Louis II on Tuesday, 17th March.
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