OMNISPORT

Arsene Wenger suffered "an emotional shock" when Arsenal drew Monaco in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League but there will be no room for sentiment when the two sides lock horns at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Arsenal manager Wenger spent seven years in charge of the Ligue 1 club after taking over in 1987, and Monaco were crowned French champions in his first season at the helm.

Wenger also won the Coupe de France during his successful spell in the Principality before moving on to Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight.

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The 65-year-old was then appointed by Arsenal in 1996 and is still going strong at the London club, who have being crowned champions of England three times and won the FA Cup five times during his long tenure.

Wenger will come up against injury-hit Monaco for the first time since leaving the club in the first leg on Wednesday and the Arsenal boss admitted he was taken aback when the draw was made.

He told UEFA.com: "To be honest it was a surprise, because I always expect the most prestigious team to come out against us - that has happened the last five or six years.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

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"It's also one of those strange coincidences in life, because between them these two clubs account for 25 years of my life. That's very unusual, to meet in the Champions League. It was a little bit of an emotional shock."

Arsenal have failed to reached the quarter-finals in each of the last four seasons - losing to Bayern Munich in each of the last two campaigns after Milan and Barcelona also beat them in the round of 16.

Wenger's men moved up to third in the Premier League courtesy of Saturday's 2-1 derby win at Crystal Palace and head into this tie on the back of three consecutive victories.

Monaco should also have a spring in their step after securing a 1-0 derby victory at Nice on Friday despite playing with 10 men for 45 minutes following Aymen Abdennour's dismissal.

That victory - which moved Leonardo Jardim's men up to fourth in Ligue 1 - came at a cost, though, as full-back Layvin Kurzawa suffered a thigh injury and is a doubt for the clash with Arsenal.

Jardim also has concerns over Ricardo Carvalho (calf) and Andrea Raggi (knee), while midfielders Tiemoue Bakayoko (thigh) and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco (knock) also face a race against time to be fit.

Striker Lacina Traore (fractured tibia) is definitely out and captain Jeremy Toulalan misses out due to suspension.

Arsenal, who will have to keep former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov quiet, have concerns over midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) and Aaron Ramsey (hamstring).

MATCH FACTS

• This is the first ever competitive meeting between Arsenal and Monaco.
• Auxerre are the last French team to beat Arsenal, it was in the 2002/03 Champions League group stages (2-1 at Highbury).
• Arsenal are the only team, alongside Real Madrid, to have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League in every season since the new format in 2003/04. They have however been knocked out in the last 16 in each of the last four seasons.
• Arsenal have always knocked out French clubs in European competition : in the 1969/70 Fairs Cup third round against Rouen, in the 1993/94 Cup Winners Cup semi-finals against PSG, in the 1994/95 Cup Winners Cup quarter finals against Auxerre and in the 1999/00 UEFA Cup last 32 and semi-finals against Nantes and Lens respectively.
• Arsenal haven’t conceded a single goal at the Emirates in three Champions League games against French opposition.
• Monaco hadn’t reached the knockout stages of the Champions League since 2004/05 when they were eventually eliminated out by PSV Eindhoven in the last 16.
• Monaco have gone through against English clubs in their last three knockout encounters : in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup quarter finals v Newcastle, in the 1997/98 Champions League quarter finals v Manchester Utd and in the 2003/04 Champions League semi-finals v Chelsea.
• Monaco have won none of their seven games away from home in the knockout stages of the Champions League (D2 L5).
• Monaco are the last French team to reach the final of the Champions League. It was in 2004 when they lost 3-0 to José Mourinho’s Porto.
• Monaco conceded one goal in this season’s group stages, the best defensive record. However, they only scored four goals, the lowest tally among the teams still left in the knockout stages. All four of their goals were scored from the 61st minute onwards.
• Monaco have averaged the lowest possession in the Champions League this season among the 16 teams left in the competition (43.8%).
• Alexis Sanchez has scored in each of his three Champions League games at the Emirates this season.
• Arsène Wenger is the manager with the most games at both Arsenal and Monaco.