Are you familiar with the works of Arsenal Football Club? If so, then you will have come here fully prepared for them to charge to a SPIRITED 2-0 victory over Monaco this evening, BRAVELY exiting the Champions League on away goals with their HEADS HELD HIGH and optimism renewed for next season’s challenge.  It would be very Arsenal, Arsenal in their purest form, what you would see if you placed this Arsenal side under a microscope. In 2012, they lost the first leg of their last-16 tie 4-0 in Milan and then won 3-0 back at the Emirates, Robin van Persie missing a great chance to level the tie on aggregate, while in 2013 they lost the home leg 3-1 to Bayern Munich and then won 2-0 in Germany. Oh, Arsenal. Why do you do it to yourselves? Why do you always leave it so late?  They’ve done it again this year and they find themselves needing something of a miracle after the the shambles of a first leg against Monaco at the Emirates. Having avoided a meeting with the big boys at this stage for once, they were supposed to be the favourites, only to turn in a performance of rank indiscipline and naivety, freezing as Monaco picked them off on the counter-attack time and again, losing their heads in the last minute and conceding a third just after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had restored hope.  The night was notable for a number of glaring misses from Olivier Giroud and the stats are against Arsenal this evening. They need a 3-0 victory to go through and, as Danny Taylor wrote this morning, no team have ever qualified in the Champion League era after losing the home leg of a knockout tie by more than one goal and needing to score at least twice. Monaco are unbeaten in 16 matches and did not concede once at home in their three group games. And they have ex-Tottenham favourite Dimitar Berbatov, who might at some point break into something approaching a brisk walk this evening, but only after putting out his cigarette first and only if he really fancies it. He also might score another goal against Arsenal, having done so in the first leg.  So is there any hope for Arsenal? The smart money says no. But the stupid money says that anything can happen in football. Arsenal have been in fine form since the first-leg debacle, beating Everton, QPR, Manchester United and West Ham convincingly, and they have plenty of players who can hurt Monaco. Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla are in good form and Giroud will be desperate to redeem himself. What’s more, maybe Arsenal will take inspiration from the almighty scare Schalke gave Real Madrid last week. It wasn’t quite enough for them to go through, but then again Monaco don’t have Cristiano Ronaldo to bail them out, and it did prove that nothing is impossible in this sport. Are we in for a long, dramatic night? You never know.
Minute-by-minute report: Arsenal exited the Champions League in the last 16 for the fifth year running, going out on away goals to Monaco despite a 2-0 victory in the second leg