So close yet so far for Arsene Wenger
Arsenal defeated Monaco 2-0 at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday night but go out of the Champions League last-16 on the away goals rule.
Arsene Wenger's men were virtually written off going into the game in the French Principality given that they lost the first leg 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium three weeks ago and no team in the Champions League era had ever overturned a two-goal deficit in the away leg.
Add to that the fact Monaco had only conceded two goals in the Champions League all season and it looked a tall order for the north Londoners.
But Olivier Giroud made amends for his profligacy in the first tie with a good finish in the first half before substitute Aaron Ramsey made it 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining.
Despite throwing everything at the hosts in the remainder of the game the Gunners could not find that crucial third goal which would have taken them into the quarter-finals.
It took Arsenal around 20 minutes to get to grips with the game but they went close in the 23rd minute when Aymen Abdennour inadvertently knocked down a free kick from the left into the path Laurent Koscielny who hooked his effort onto the crossbar.
However it would not have counted as an offside flag was up on the far side against the defender.
They continued to press and were rewarded with a goal on 36 minutes when Giroud showed some persistence after seeing Danijel Subasic get down well to save his first effort by reacting quickly to fire the loose ball high into the net from an angle.
Danny Welbeck almost added quick-fire second two minutes later when he smashed an effort on target from the edge of the area but the ball deflected off grounded defender Abdennour and trickled just wide of the post.
Alexis Sanchez thought he had won a penalty on 42 minutes when he went down in the box following a tangle of legs with Nabil Dirar, but the referee deemed that the Chile international had dived and brandished the yellow card for simulation.
Giroud went close again in first half stoppage time but he could not get any power on Welbeck's ball in from the right and his effort dropped into the hands of Subasic.
Welbeck then lashed in a drive from the right of the area only to be denied by the Monaco shot-stopper.
Mesut Ozil tested Subasic eight minutes into the second half with a free kick which was heading into the top corner of the net before the keeper tipped it over the crossbar.
The Germany international playmaker went close again on 63 minutes when the ball broke to him on the edge of the box but he hit the drive just wide of the post.
The tie was blown wide open on 79 minutes when Ramsey pounced on defender Layvin Kurzawa's poor clearance and hit a low right-foot drive into the bottom corner of the net from the right of the area just after Theo Walcott hit the post after getting on the end of a Nacho Monreal cross.
Arsenal threw the kitchen sink at their hosts going into the final 10 minutes but just could not find a way through for the third goal.
The closest they came to scoring came on 83 minutes when Ozil's free kick from the left channel was met by the head of Sanchez at the back post and his effort hit off Giroud before being pushed off the line by Subasic.
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