Arsenal Have No Excuse This Time as Wenger Returns to Monaco in Champions League

For the 12th year in a row, Arsenal awaited the draw for the second phase of the Champions League, and given the teams they have faced in the past, one imagines they did so with some trepidation.

Having finished second in their group, Arsene Wenger's side once again faced the possibility of coming up against one of the giants of the European game, something to further irk an already fairly irked collection of fans.

In the past four years, Arsenal had been paired with Bayern Munich twice, Barcelona and AC Milan, so one might argue that they were due for a change in luck.

Claude Paris/Associated Press

And after this year's draw in Nyon, Switzerland, on Monday, they very much got that stroke of fortune, avoiding the likes of Bayern, Barca, Real and Atletico Madrid and instead were drawn with Monaco.

This was more or less the best outcome that Arsenal could have wished for not only because they have managed to sidestep the biggest beasts in the draw, but they have arguably been paired with one of the weakest sides left in the competition, never mind one of the weakest group winners.

Monaco were given the plum group of the first round with Zenit St Petersburg, Bayer Leverkeusen and Benfica and somehow managed to qualify for the second phase while only scoring four goals. Even in such a weak group, their 11 points was the lowest total for a group-winning side in the tournament.

Additionally, Monaco are only sixth in Ligue 1, and their recent run of three victories in a row represents their strongest run of form this season.

The "realigning of priorities" over the summer has seen them shorn of the big-ticket signings made in the early days of Dmitry Rybolovlev's tenure as the club's owner, with James Rodriguez sold to Real Madrid and Radamel Falcao loaned to Manchester United. They still have the likes of Geoffrey Kondogbia, Dimitar Berbatov and Joao Moutinho, but Monaco are now a decidedly less intimidating prospect than they were this time last year.

It was very much the draw Wenger was hoping for as well. He tried to dress his hopes up in nostalgia, returning to the club with whom he won the French league title in 1988, but he knew Monaco were Arsenal's best bet.

Wenger said before the draw, as quoted by Matt Barlow of MailOnline:

"

I don't think many teams want Madrid. We don't want Bayern Munich and I'm sure they don't want us. I'm not against Monaco because it would be a visit to my first home. I would love to go there.

I've got great memories of Monaco because they gave me a chance when I was a very young manager.

When I arrived they had never been past the first round in the European Cup so we have good memories. It is a fantastic place. That would be good.

"

Of course, while this is undoubtedly the best outcome Arsenal could have hoped for, drawing such a favourable team carries its own pressures.

Arsenal now have absolutely no excuses in this competition. Having avoided the toughest of tasks, they now absolutely must progress.

In years gone by, they could point to virtually impossible tasks against teams that would go on to win the Champions League, but not this time.

Arsenal and Wenger's defenders tend to make much of the undoubtedly impressive achievement of qualifying for this stage of the tournament in so many successive years. This time, that won't be enough.

Arsenal have been handed a golden chance to make a real impression on the tournament, and they must take it.