No excuses for Wenger after great draw for Arsenal

Posted Tuesday, December 16, 2014 by Goal.com

COMMENT: The Gunners have avoided the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as the Frenchman returns to his old club, while Jose Mourinho has been handed his dream draw

If Arsene Wenger followed through on his quip about going to church over the weekend, his prayers have been answered.

Arsenal's cycle of dreadful Champions League draws has come to an end and Wenger has been handed his dream last-16 clash with a return to Monaco.

It will be the first time that Wenger has faced Monaco in a competitive fixture since he spent seven years in charge of the Ligue 1 club, during which time he won the French title and the domestic cup.

It was the draw Wenger said he would "love", but not solely for romantic reasons.

After all, Monaco are hardly the club Wenger remembers. In fact, their extravagant spending to get back to Europe's top table represents the antithesis of Wenger's philosophy.

The real reason Wenger will be smiling from ear to ear today is that the Gunners have finally been handed a kind draw at this stage in the competition.

They have been knocked out in the last four years in the last 16, to Bayern Munich in the last two seasons and to Milan and Barcelona before then.

It has added to the sense of stagnation at Arsenal and the feeling within the stands that Wenger will never bring the north London side back among the elite.

Now Arsenal have the perfect opportunity to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League as they come up against a Monaco side sitting sixth in Ligue 1.

Monaco have struggled following the high-profile summer departures of James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao, with Joao Moutinho expected to follow them out of the principality.

If Arsenal cannot beat Monaco, Wenger won't have a leg to stand on. Monaco are there to make up the numbers, the also-rans of the last 16 draw.