Arsenal fans could not hold their joy when after finishing second in their group in the initial stages of the competition, they were paired with French side Monaco. Many expected Arsenal to finally break their voodoo of failing to make it to the Quarter-Final of the Champions League, but Arsene Wenger's men did their chances no favour when shambolic defending and failure to finish off chances not only resulted in a heavy defeat but provided Monaco with three important away goals.
However Arsenal should not be deterred by this set back and they should ensure they remain focused on their goals starting from the match against Everton on Sunday. Here are five ways Arsenal can forget the Monaco loss and reignite their season.
An almost fully fit squad
With the wealth of attacking options Arsenal have, they should be winning their next encounter against Everton provided they maintain the level of discipline and commitment required. Arsene Wenger has hailed this crop of players as one of the best attacking unit he has had in a long time and on Sunday they will have to prove it after their disappointing display against Monaco.
A growing injury list has been Arsenal's achilles heel season after season and it was a problem during the start of this season as well. However the Gunners have now welcomed most of their key players back to the squad and will be hoping they can make good use of the squad depth they have.
Arsenal's home record
Despite having been really inconsistent on the road, Arsenal's home record this season has been very good. The Gunners have suffered just a single defeat at the Emirates in league encounters this season having scored 28 goals in just 12 matches. Playing at their own soil will make it much more easier for them to bounce back.
Everton's leaky defence
Everton have not enjoyed a productive campaign this season and after 26 matches the toffees are currently 12th in the league table. Much of this has been down to an unstable defensive line which has conceded 37 goals so far.
With the attacking line up Arsenal have they should definitely cause a lot of trouble in the Everton half. However they should ensure that they are more clinical this time around and that they do not waste their chances like they did against Monaco.
A chance to close down the gap on Man City
Arsenal are seven points behind Man City, but should things go in their favour over the weekend they can close down the gap to just four points. Manchester City will be against Liverpool who have been on a good run in recent games and should the Reds pick a win on Sunday, it will allow Arsenal to close down the gap at the top of the table.
Build momentum
Arsenal have a few tricky ties ahead and thus have to recover quickly from their loss at the hands of Monaco. The Gunners will face arch rivals Manchester United in almost ten days from now, followed by a home fixture against West Ham and the return leg against Monaco.
Arsenal are known to bottle in the month of March and they must ensure that this does not happen this time around. The next few weeks are very crucial for Arsenal football club, good performances can keep their chances of a silverware alive this season anything else could lead to another trophyless season.
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