Key occasions
Arsenal are all smiles. They have been the higher aspect over the piece – they need to have put this sport to mattress within the first half – although Monaco gave it a great go of their seek for a second-half equaliser. The win strikes the Gunners as much as third spot within the Champions League, with a house sport in opposition to Dinamo Zagreb and a go to to Girona developing within the New Year.
FULL TIME: Arsenal 3-0 Monaco
Arsenal head into this competitors’s Christmas break in good nick.
90 min +1: Nwaneri whistles a shot in direction of the underside proper. Majecki claims.
90 min: There will probably be three extra minutes.
GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Monaco (Havertz 88)
Arsenal take a fast free kick down the left and Trossard crosses lengthy. Saka hits a shot-cum-cross from the right-hand nook of the six-yard field. Havertz competes, degree with the right-hand submit. Kehrer stands proud a boot and deflects into the top-right nook. It seems like an personal aim, however for now the officers have credited it to Havertz.
87 min: It’s going to be very fascinating to see how Everton cope with Arsenal’s corners on Saturday. You can guess your backside greenback Sean Dyche has been taking notes.
85 min: Trossard forces Teze into the concession of a nook down the left. Monaco depart three males upfield once more. Discombobulated when confronted with a half-empty field, Trossard and Nwaneri strive some quick stuff and all of it goes mistaken.
84 min: That mistake has taken the wind out of Monaco’s sail. Arsenal, second finest for a lot of the second half, and immediately first to the whole lot. Trossard one-twos with Havertz to create space on the sting of the Monaco D, however slips as he takes his shot.
82 min: Monaco make a triple change. Camara, Vanderson and Embolo are changed by Teze, Matazo and Ilenikhena.
80 min: Ødegaard makes manner for Nwaneri.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Monaco (Saka 78)
Majecki rolls the aim kick to Kehrer on his proper. Kehrer rolls it again throughout to Salisu to the keeper’s left. Salisu faucets it to the keeper, who is instantly closed down by Havertz. The ball deflects to Saka, who isn’t lacking from six yards. The ball whistles into the nook, and that must be that for Arsenal.
77 min: Ødegaard crosses lengthy from the best. Merino heads over on the far submit. Trossard, behind him was in a greater place. But it doesn’t matter, as a result of from the ensuing aim kick …
76 min: Arsenal get pleasure from a little bit of sustained possession for the primary time on this second interval. Have they lastly drawn Monaco’s sting?
74 min: Havertz juggles his manner out of a three-man press. That’s pleasant ability. He sends Trossard romping into acres down the left. Ødegaard is free within the center, however Trossard can solely clank the ultimate cross into the close by Salisu. He will get the ball again and goals for the highest proper, however the shot’s all the time crusing excessive and vast. An enormous likelihood to wrap this up.
73 min: Jesus is changed by Havertz.
71 min: Saka advances down the best and rolls infield for Trossard, who tries to launch Ødegaard down the inside-left channel. A greater weighted ball, and Ødegaard is in on aim, however the cross is overhit.
69 min: Ødegaard hauls down Ben Seghir to concede a garden-variety free kick, and briefly considers flinging the ball away in disgust. He decides in opposition to it, which is for one of the best. Arsenal not in an awesome state of mind proper now.-
68 min: Minamino dribbles into the Arsenal field from the best and is evenly tugged on the shoulder by Kiwior. An opportunity to go down cynically, and provides the referee a penalty resolution to make. But Minamino opts to remain on his ft.
66 min: Trossard crosses from the left. Ødegaard hammers a shot from the penalty spot straight at Majecki, who parries … after which the flag goes up.
65 min: Minamino snaffles Saliba’s poor cross out from the right-back place. He slips a left-to-right diagonal cross to Embolo, who swivels, 12 yards out, and flashes a low drive inches vast of the underside proper. Monaco getting nearer and nearer to an equaliser.
64 min: Arsenal make a triple change, Rice, Lewis-Skelley and Martinelli making manner for Timber, Trossard and Jorginho.
63 min: Henrique dribbles previous Partey and Saka down the best, reaching the byline and chopping again for Minamino, who ought to do higher than slapping a weak shot straight at Raya from ten yards. Arsenal try to counter, just for Vanderson to tug at Martinelli and earn himself a reserving.
61 min: Incidentally, Monaco’s tactic to cope with Arsenal’s well-known nook routine was to maintain three males on the midway line, forcing the Gunners to match them … and thus there have been fewer gamers and far much less bedlam within the field. Premier League managers up and down the land will probably be whipping their notebooks out. Scribble scribble scribble.
60 min: Rice’s lengthy nook is punched clear by Majecki. On the sting of the field, Merino thinks he’s been fouled by Embolo, however there’s no whistle. So seconds later he has a sit back, and goes into the e-book.
58 min: Merino spins into area and strides down the center of the park. He performs in Martinelli down the left. Martinelli drops a shoulder to get previous Vanderson, and crosses low and arduous. Salisu slices an odd … and barely lucky … clearance over his personal bar. Here comes Arsenal’s first nook of the night!
56 min: More area for Vanderson down the best. He tries the low cross once more. This time Embolo is up there competing, however Kiwior will get in forward to knock the ball out of play for the primary nook of the match. Nothing comes of the set piece, Akliouche sending it straight into Raya’s arms.
54 min: Monaco have began the half higher. But then they did that within the first half too, and look how that ended up. “Lovely help from Jesus,” writes Charles Antaki. “Who are these mealy-mouthed critics? Pshaw!”
53 min: Vanderson storms down the best and sends a harmful ball by the Arsenal field. But no person else in inexperienced has stored up with play.
51 min: Minamino has a dig from distance. No good.
49 min: Rice slaloms out of defence. The referee tries to get out of his manner. But whichever manner he chooses, Rice follows. The crowd not blissful however that is silent-movie perfection. The referee can’t shake Rice off. A slapstick chase. Eventually Rice takes a tough flip proper and the skit is over.
47 min: Camara curls the free kick into the Arsenal field. Kehrer wins a header, ten yards out, and powers it vast proper. Had that been on track, Raya was crushed, rooted to the spot. And Kehrer was mainly unchallenged, so it ought to have been on track. Arsenal get away with one.
46 min: Jesus has the prospect to launch Martinelli into the Monaco field, however underhits the cross. Monaco counter, and Kiwior upends Akliouche 30 yards from aim. Free kick. The field is loaded.
Monaco get the second half underway. Soungoutou Magassa, who made a few huge errors within the first half, has been changed by erstwhile Liverpool star Takumi Minamino. But Arsenal haven’t subbed Gabriel Martinelli, which is one thing of a shock given he ought to have been given a second yellow card proper on the finish of the primary half, and is definitely now ingesting within the last-chance saloon.
Half-time leisure. Max! Barry! David Squires!
HALF TIME: Arsenal 1-0 Monaco
A half of two halves. Monaco appeared assured for the primary 20 minutes or so, however then Arsenal turned it on. The hosts might very simply have scored 5. They additionally ought to have seen Gabriel Martinelli despatched off for 2 yellow playing cards, so there’s a good likelihood he’ll not be popping out once more for the second half.
45 min: Camara strides down the best and is clanked to the ground from behind by Martinelli, who’s already on a reserving. He must be strolling – this can be a second yellow all day lengthy – however the referee opts for a quiet phrase as a substitute. Martinelli may be very fortunate certainly.
44 min: Arsenal stroke it round within the game-management model. Monaco are chasing shadows now.
42 min: Make that 5. Monaco are immediately all over, Camara the most recent to ship possession. Ødegaard slips Martinelli clear down the inside-left. Martinelli then replicates Ødegaard’s miss from a few minutes in the past. The flag goes up for offside, however Martinelli appeared on. VAR would certainly have gotten the rulers out and overturned that one.
40 min: Magassa, not for the primary time this night, faffs round on the midway line. He slips a dreadful backpass in direction of Vanderson, permitting Ødegaard to storm off with the ball. He’s clear! Ødegaard reaches the sting of the field and appears for the bottom-right nook … however the shot’s all the time crusing vast. An enormous miss, Arsenal’s third huge one of many evening. Somewhere, in a parallel universe, Arsenal are 4-0 up.
