Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 9y

Arsenal gave Monaco room to shine on the break, says Dimitar Berbatov

Arsenal played into Monaco's hands by leaving them space to thrive on the counter in Wednesday's Champions League clash, striker Dimitar Berbatov has said.

The principality club stunned the Gunners with a 3-1 win in the round of 16 first-leg clash at Emirates Stadium, with Berbatov scoring their second goal.

And the 34-year-old former Tottenham, Manchester United and Fulham striker said he had not been surprised by the way in which Monaco had been able to prosper against Arsene Wenger's men.

"To be honest, we were not surprised," he said. "Arsenal have very quick players, and when they go forward they leave a lot of space at the back.

"We knew that, and we had prepared well and took advantage of it. We knew their weaknesses and we exploited them, and I think everyone can agree that we deserved our win.

"Our team is very young but very talented. It is not only about age but about class. If you prepare well and do what your coach says, you can see the result.

"We believed we could do something, and this is for everybody."

#INSERT type:image caption:Dimitar Berbatov and Monaco thrived on the break against Arsenal. END#

Arsenal had gone into the tie with many observers believing they had received a kind draw -- but the first leg setback has left them on the brink of elimination.

And Nabil Dirar, who captained Monaco in the absence of Jeremy Toulalan, told RMC that he believed the Gunners may have been complacent.

"They thought they were better than us, and that's the truth," he said. When you see the potential and their team, there are only big names.

"It's great to play against them, but in football it's not always the best that wins. Perhaps they underestimated us -- all the better for us."

He added that he felt Monaco had caught out Wenger's side with their approach, explaining: "We're a really physical team that stays compact and plays on the counter-attack. That is what surprised them."

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