VINES: Dimitar Berbatov and Monaco all but fire Arsenal out of the Champions League

Football loves a good narrative.

So tonight's game between Arsenal and Monaco was always going to be a case of either Dimitar Berbatov scoring or Arsene Wenger sparking up on the bench. Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, it was the former tonight as Arsenal lost 3-1 in the first leg of their round of 16 game at home to Monaco. The ex-Spurs forward scored Monaco's second of the evening after Geoffrey Kondogbia had given the Ligue 1 side a first-half lead with a long-range, deflected effort. But it was the Bulgarian international Berbatov, who spent two years at White Hart Lane, that put Arsenal heads in hands after he finished off a flowing counter-attack to punish some lax Arsenal defending. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looked to give Arsene Wenger's side some hope after he scored a beauty in the 90th minute.   But it was Monaco who had the last laugh when substitute Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco again punished defensive indiscipline from the Premier League side to give Leonardo Jardim's side the 3-1 victory. The scoreline means Arsenal have to score at least three in the return leg at The Stade Louis II on March 17. And the omens aren't good for the Gunners as Monaco haven't conceded more than one goal at home since November 22.