Key events
13 min: Embolo goes over his ankle and stays down. Monaco want the ball put out. Arsenal eventually oblige, not that it pleases their fans. Embolo gets up to more booing. He’s fine. Booooo! Pantomime season starting early in Holloway.
11 min: Monoco press high. Raya isn’t sure how to respond so simply blooters the ball upfield in the late-80s style. Nobody up there.
9 min: Now it’s Kiwior’s turn to dawdle on the edge of his own area, and he’s dispossessed by Vanderson. The ball’s teed up for Golovin, who sends a power curler inches wide of the right-hand post. Had that been on target, Raya might not have got there in time.
8 min: Martinelli probes down the left again. He chops back but can’t get past Vanderson, who attempts to launch a counter by dribbling in the old-fashioned style up the touchline. He flashes past Martinelli but is then dragged back by Lewis-Skelly. A bit later in the match, and that might have been a booking.
6 min: Martinelli slips Merino into the box with a cute reverse pass down the inside-left channel. Merino whips a vicious low ball through the six-yard box. Jesus extends a leg but can’t connect. Any sort of touch and that was in. Fine play by Martinelli and Merino there.
5 min: Arsenal wake up as Magassa ambles around on the edge of his own box. Jesus nicks the ball off his toe, and sends Martinelli into the box down the left channel. Martinelli hits a weak shot straight into Majecki’s arms.
3 min: Monaco are winning most of the early duels. Arsenal not quite up to speed yet. On the touchline, Mikel Arteta claps his hands by way of encouragement.
1 min: Ødegaard loses the ball within nanoseconds and Monaco go on the attack. Ben Seghir has a run at the Arsenal defence, but there’s no way through. A very early sign that Monaco aren’t here simply to make up the numbers.
Arsenal get the ball rolling. A rare old noise down Ashburton Grove way.
The teams are out! Arsenal sport fetching retro US-style ‘Varsity Jackets’ (£160) as they line up for the Uefa anthem. Underneath, their famous red shirts with equally storied white sleeves. Monaco in second-choice bottle green. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes. In the meantime, Charles Antaki would like to offer as much pre-match optimism as he can muster: “Gabriel Jesus on from the start. Hmm. A certain twitchiness is starting to be discernible amongst Arsenal fans about Jesus; early deliveries have dried up and not been replaced by anything much. You wonder whether Arteta starting him in a Champions League match might be a matter of giving him enough rope.”
The two early matches have finished. Here are the results …
… and so the supertable now looks like this. Arsenal drop a couple of places to 12th, having been leapfrogged by both of the early-evening winners.
Here’s what Arsenal are facing tonight. “Multinational acquisitions have helped Monaco and their coach, Adi Hütter, create a physical and intense team with flair in the attacking third,” writes Will Unwin, who swanned down to the Côte d’Azur so you don’t have to.
Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports. “Myles Lewis-Skelly has done really well for us and deserves a chance … we are really buzzing to see one of our own in a big match like this playing for us … it is a really tough match … Monaco have been in great form … some great results … now is the moment to capitalise at home … we have two games at home … let’s do it tonight … they are very strong attacking and defending … they prepare every throw, every free kick … there are a lot of clues if you want an advantage … the amount of entries we make into the box is more than every other team … a little more killing instinct … the last pass, the last action is not there … it is my job to help them … we have to have more symmetry … find the right balance … be a threat from everywhere.”
Arsenal make four changes to their starting XI following the 1-1 draw at Fulham. Mikel Merino, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Myles Lewis-Skelly are recalled, the latter making his first Champions League start, while Jurriën Timber, Leandro Trossard, Jorginho and Kai Havertz drop to the bench. Kieran Tierney is also named as a sub, and could make his first appearance for the Gunners for over 16 months.
The teams
Arsenal: Raya, Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Merino, Ødegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus.
Subs: Neto, Setford, Timber, Tierney, Robinson, Heaven, Monlouis, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling, Havertz.
Monaco: Majecki, Vanderson, Kehrer, Seghir, Golovin, Akliouche, Caio Henrique, Camara, Salisu, Embolo, Magassa.
Subs: Kohn, Lienard, Teze, Matazo, Minamino, Ouattara, Ilenikhena, Michal, Nibombe, Tincres.
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)
VAR: Daniele Chiffi (Italy)
Preamble
Arsenal are looking for the win that would catapult them into the top eight of the Champions League mega-table. So are Monaco, who have already taken one big scalp in this campaign in the form of Barcelona. This could be a cracker, then. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
