Who needs game resumes if your opponent defends himself in this way?
Arsenal took a big step towards qualifying for the knockout rounds of the Champions League with a crucial victory over Monaco.
But they owed this victory to the team from the Ligue 1, which set up some of the most comic defenses that you will see this season.
Two weeks before the big day you would have forgiven the Arsenal players that they thought Christmas had arrived early.
In recent weeks a lot of attention has been paid to the dependence on Arsenal of game resumes.
They did not have to dive here in their dead ballsarsal, not least thanks to Monaco’s amateur rearguard.
Bukayo Saka scored twice on Wednesday evening during the 3-0 win of Arsenal on Monaco
The English international (right) found the back of the net on either side of the tranquility
After the victory, the team of Mikel Arteta moved up to third place in the new Champions League classification
Bukayo Saka was the largest beneficiary of the shortcomings of the French team and scored twice, which brought his total to nine for the season.
Add the six assists that he has also collected; Saka’s process shows no signs of dip.
Although all this was said, this was not as convincing of the Gunners as the score believed.
Monaco had his moments and had Arsenal on the ropes for spells.
That said, Mikel Arteta would claim that his team created enough opportunities during a sparkling period of twenty minutes in the first half to have sewn this rest before rest. He is probably right.
There is indeed a lot to be said for doing the job and Arsenal did what they had to do here without firing the winter air.
The first half was certainly slow. Arsenal hurled out of the blocks, two half chances for Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli had everything they really saw in the first twenty minutes.
In any case, Monaco looked the most comfortable during those rather everyday opening talks, in which the French team threw the ball sharply and with confidence.
Aleksandr Golovin narrowly shot next to a fierce attempt from the edge of the penalty area, while trying to take advantage of their encouraging start.
Monaco pointed out teen mylyes Lewis-Skelly-who made his first Champions League start-clearly as the weak link.
The defensive options of Arsenal have been plagued by injuries in recent weeks; Only William Saliba recognizable by Mikel Arteta’s Back-Vier at full strength who opened the door here last night to the highly valued 18-year-old to take the last step in his career.
Thanks to the young person, he looked completely unaffected by all this.
Saka poked in close up and gave Arsenal the lead during the first half
Gabriel Jesus (right) became a supplier when he put down a nice ball for the English flank player
Not only that, he played a crucial role in the fact that Arsenal took a lead in the 34th minute. He collected a pass from Martin Odegaard, the graduate of the Academy who expertly escaped the attention of Maghnes Akilouche before he cut a sharp pass that cut through the defense of Monaco like a caps.
The only thing that remained was that Jesus played a square pass on the path of Bukayo Saka.
The teammates of Myles-Skelly certainly appreciated the contribution of their young colleague, but it was Saka who took on most of the praise. What a season he has. What a player that is.
By the time referee Davide Massa blew before the break, it is not an exaggeration to say that Arsenal could have been ahead of 4-0.
Even prior to Saka’s Opener, Jesus missed two glorious opportunities to open the score, Odegaard and Martinelli were just as wasting by the end of half.
The stuttering start of Arsenal, a distant memory per theme, indicated mass before the break when Monaco’s early Branie turned into a limp.
The care for Arteta was of course whether they could regret the missed opportunities.
That fear flashed just before the eyes of Arteta, only two minutes after the second period, when Thilo Kehrer narrowly shot a header from the free kick of Lamine Camara.
Kai Havertz completed the victory for the Gunners with a deviated attempt in the game
There was indeed fear of the opening of Arsenal in the second half. The natives felt it too.
The Branie of Monaco had returned; But for Arsenal it was all hands at the pump.
Arteta felt the shortcomings and carried out a triple change: Leandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber and Jorginho.
The three changes brought the canvas down for Lewis-Skelly’s big evening. It is clear why great things are expected from the young person.
Nevertheless, Monaco continued to put pressure on and Bree Embolo left a golden chance unused in the 65th minute when he shot in the side net after an unusual mistake by William Saliba.
This was Monaco’s golden moment. At least that should have been the case. Saliba broke a huge sigh of lighting. He wasn’t the only one.
The inconvenience that the Emirates stage flooded should have decreased two minutes later when Odegaard shot directly on Radoslaw Majecki after the pass of Trossard.
Saka produced three goals on Wednesday during his sparkling performance
That should have been game, set and match. Eventually, in the 78th minute, it was time.
Saka was inevitably the hero when the English star benefited from an inexplicable confusion between Mohammed Salisu and Majecki to shoot in an empty net.
The horror defense of Monaco did not admit when Arsenal scored a third place after Salisu missed a header completely before Keher, under pressure from Kai Havertz, stuck in his own net.
It is the time of year to be generous. You could imagine that Monaco boss Adi Hutter would think differently.