Arsenal vs. Monaco: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Monaco produced a shocking result at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night as they defeated Arsenal, 3-1, in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
Geoffrey Kondogbia and Dimitar Berbatov handed the Ligue 1 side a two-goal advantage with strikes in the 38th and 53rd minutes, respectively.
Arsenal climbed back into the match by way of a late Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal, but the visitors countered before the final whistle through Yannick Ferreira Carrasco.
Here's a look at the winners and losers from Monaco's surprising conquest of north London.
Winner: Geoffrey Kondogbia
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Kondogbia shocked the crowd in north London with his 38th-minute strike from distance.
The goal scored by the 22-year-old was the first recorded by Monaco in the first hour of a Champions League game this season, per Rob Harris of The Associated Press.
Although the shot did deflect off Per Mertesacker on its way into the back of the net, it would have beaten Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina regardless. The attempt, which was originally headed into the right corner of the net, left the Colombian flatfooted.
Not only did Kondogbia deliver a massive tally in the first half, he also played a major role in slowing down the Arsenal attack in the second half.
The young midfielder ended the match with nine tackles and three interceptions against plenty of world-class players in the Arsenal lineup.
If he continues to play strong in midfield in the second leg on March 17, Monaco will have no problem seeing off their English foes.
Loser: Olivier Giroud
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Olivier Giroud was absolutely terrible in front of goal Wednesday night.
The Frenchman, who scored on three occasions in his last two games, sent all six of his shots off target. Due to Giroud's poor performance over the first 60 minutes, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger pulled him from the pitch in favor of Theo Walcott.
Giroud's final involvement up top came in the 57th minute when he sent a shot soaring into the stands after Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic left a rebound at his feet.
The missed opportunity in front of goal was a perfect representation of how Giroud's night went.
Every chance wasted by Giroud came as a shock to many since the Frenchman entered the match in terrific form. Since the start of 2015, Giroud has contributed five goals and three assists in eight games in all competitions.
One has to wonder if his putrid showing on Europe's biggest stage will deal a major blow to his confidence heading into the final months of the season.
"It was a horrible night," Wenger told Sky Sports, per Oliver Kay of The Times.
Winner: Yannick Ferreira Carrasco
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Ferreira Carrasco made a massive impact on the match in just 15 minutes of play.
The 21-year-old Belgian was a menace on the counter at the end of the second half against an Arsenal back line that was pushing forward in search of a goal.
In the waning moments of the match, Ferreira Carrasco sped down the right wing and finished off Monaco's third goal of the night. The strike came minutes after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled a key goal back for the Gunners.
Although he was not fit to start Wednesday night, that might not be the case in three weeks' time. If Ferreira Carrasco displays the same skill he did from the 75th minute on at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal's back four will be under immense pressure for 90 minutes.
If the Gunners fail to wrangle in the speedy Belgian in the second leg, they will leave themselves with no chance of securing a victory and advancing to the final eight of the competition.
Loser: Per Mertesacker
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The usually reliable Per Mertesacker made a crucial error on two of the three goals netted by the visitors.
In the 38th minute, he handed Geoffrey Kondogbia acres of space to fire a shot in from distance. The German center-back attempted to rush over and cover the open part of the pitch, but he got to the spot too late.
Because of his poor timing, Mertesacker saw Kondogbia's shot deflect off him and past David Ospina, but that was not his worst mistake of the night.
Mertesacker allowed Anthony Martial and Dimitar Berbatov to break into the final third in the 53rd minute after he stepped up too far on the pitch.
All the towering center-back could do following his lapse in judgment was watch Berbatov celebrate a crucial second away goal.
Due to the pair of critical mistakes by Mertesacker, the Gunners will head to the Stade Louis II in need of at least three away goals.
"It's very difficult to score a lot of goals in (the Champions League) so (it is) easier to be organised. The space Arsenal gave us, we exploited," Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim said, per ESPN's Miguel Delaney.
Winner: Aymen Abdennour
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Aymen Abdennour led the Monaco defense through a few rough patches in the second half to hold on to the lead.
The 25-year-old center-back turned in an excellent performance against an Arsenal side that put only four of their 14 shots on target.
Whenever Monaco needed someone to clean up a mess in the final third, Abdennour was there to deny the Arsenal attackers a clear chance on goal.
Abdennour made five clearances, three interceptions and a tackle according to the stat sheet, but that does not begin to explain the role he played in the victory.
With confidence flowing through his veins after the triumph on the road, Abdennour will need to turn into a defensive rock once again to allow his side to safely qualify for the quarterfinals.
Loser: Danny Welbeck
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If Giroud did not have such a brutal game up top for the Gunners, Danny Welbeck would be receiving the brunt of the criticism.
The 24-year-old started the match in strong fashion, as he fended off a defender and hit a shot from the right side of the penalty area in the second minute.
That would end up being the only key display of physicality shown by Welbeck all night. Following his wide shot early in the match, he disappeared for long stretches.
He did show up in front of goal in the 64th minute, but his attempt deflected off Theo Walcott and soared over an open net.
In 90 minutes on the pitch, Welbeck touched the ball 27 times and attempted two shots, both of which were off target. Those numbers are unacceptable for a player who should have taken charge of the attack once Giroud was lifted.
When the second leg comes around, Welbeck needs to leave a mark on the match for most of the 90 minutes if the Gunners want to earn any chance of saving face in Monaco.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from WhoScored.com.
