Arsenal vs Monaco: is it a mission impossible for arsenal?

Arsenal's first-leg performance against Monaco has left them almost without a leg to stand on in the Champions League. A 3-1 home defeat - sealed by a sucker-punch as the Gunners chased an equaliser - means they require a comeback of unprecedented scope to advance to the quarter-finals.

No team has turned around a two-goal deficit in the away leg of a Champions League tie - only two have survived after one-goal home defeats - and Arsenal know they must score at least three times against a Monaco side that hasn't shipped that many on home soil since September 2011.

And yet hope springs eternal. The Gunners are in rude health after 12 wins in 14 matches in all competitions, and Wenger spies a glimmer of hope.

"The statistics don’t matter," he said. "They are against us. The result from the first leg is against us, we’re conscious of that.

"But no matter how big the percentage is, we are going to give absolutely everything to make the stats lie. That’s our desire and that’s our belief we can do it."

This is no mere deficit as Les Monegasques have three valuable away goals, making the assignment much tougher for the Gunners. Monaco also dispatched SC Bastia 3-0 on Friday and will head into the tie full of confidence.

The Gunners should be blamed for the outcome of the first leg.