5 Ways Arsenal Can Overcome 3-1 Champions League Deficit vs. Monaco

Arsenal's 3-1 defeat to Monaco in their Champions League round-of-16 tie leaves them facing a huge task in the second leg.

The Gunners know they must win by three clear goals to avoid extra time. Monaco have a superb defensive record at the Stade Louis II, and it will take a vastly improved performance from Arsenal to give them even the slightest chance of progression.

However, there are obvious lessons to learn from the first-leg defeat. Go to the next slide to discover the first of five steps Arsene Wenger must take to overcome the two-goal deficit. 

Bring Back Wojciech Szczesny

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It's time to bring back Wojciech Szczesny.

David Ospina failed to convince in the first leg against Monaco and looks an increasingly jittery presence between the sticks. He'll be particularly disappointed to have failed to keep out the Monegasque side's third goal.

Szczesny is the superior goalkeeper and has served his time on the substitutes' bench. The hour has arrived for Arsene Wenger to reinstate the club's No. 1.

Drop Per Mertesacker

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With a heavy heart, Arsene Wenger must consider dropping Per Mertesacker.

The gentle giant's lack of pace was exposed in the first leg. With Monaco likely to play in a similar set-up next time round, Arsenal should select the quicker Gabriel Paulista alongside Laurent Koscielny.

Play a Proper Central Midfielder

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Jack Wilshere was given a precautionary rest for the first leg against Monaco. On reflection, that was a grave error; with Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla in the middle of the park, Arsenal lacked the requisite stability in central midfield.

If Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are fit for the second leg, one of them must be deployed alongside Coquelin to ensure the Gunners have a sturdier base at the heart of their team.

Be Patient

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Arsenal have a nasty habit of chasing games before getting caught on the counter. That leads them to adopt an even more cavalier approach, and the subsequent sucker punch becomes inevitable.

In the away leg, Arsenal need to have a measure of patience. A 3-0 win is required to take them through, but those goals do not have to be scored inside the first 20 minutes. 

The Gunners must find a balance between attacking ambition and defensive stability. That balance was plainly absent during the first-leg debacle.

Reinstate Nacho Monreal

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It was a surprise to see Nacho Monreal left out of the first leg. Heading into the game, the Spaniard had been in the best spell of form of his Arsenal career.

Selecting Kieran Gibbs instead was a gamble that didn't pay off. Gibbs has a tendency to get caught high up the pitch. When Arsenal travel to the principality, picking the more conservative Monreal would help ensure that Arsenal don't concede the goals that would kill the tie.