Arsenal give Wenger hope of overturning Monaco deficit

© Reuters

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger  Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal can overturn their Champions League deficit against Monaco after having watched his side's free-flowing 3-0 victory over West Ham United on Saturday. The Londoners will again need to be at their attacking best in the French principality on Tuesday after Monaco bullied the their way to a 3-1 win in last month's last-16 first leg tie. "We have a massive challenge but we will give absolutely everything to try and go through," manager Wenger told Sky Sports television. "(A poor pitch) is one of the problems, there is a lot of rain down there and when it rains, it rains. It's not absolutely fantastic but we won't have any excuses, they are favourites now but we can reverse it. "We just have to make sure the spirit, the belief and the desire is there." Arsenal, in third spot and hoping to qualify for the Champions League next season for the 16th successive campaign, have a four-point lead over fourth-placed Manchester United who host Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday. Goals from Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini against West Ham earned Wenger's men an eighth straight home league win for the first time since they moved to the Emirates in 2006. After knocking Manchester United out of the FA Cup on Monday, victory for Arsenal capped a fine week for Wenger and the Frenchman was pleased with their attacking swagger. "It was a good performance, we were weaker at the start of the second half but overall we kept going and created many chances," he said. "It was a convincing win and a very important one as well. That's the kind of game we want to play. When it doesn't work it is questioned but that is the game we love."