Arsenal v Monaco: Champions League preview

Arsenal host Monaco tonight in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, and for Arsene Wenger the match has a particular resonance.

The Gunners' 65-year-old manager, who has been in the coaching game for 32 years, will for the first time pit his wits against a former club in a competitive fixture.

Wenger spent seven seasons at Monaco between 1987 and 1994, an era when the French club enjoyed unparalleled success, winning a French league title and the French Cup, as well as reaching the European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1992 and the Champions League semi-final in 1994.

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They achieved their success with a galaxy of ageing stars such as England's Glenn Hoddle and Mark Hateley and the great French defender Patrick Battiston. But everything was brought together by Wenger, an inexperienced and youthful coach at the time whose reward for his triumph was the sack in September 1994.

After a spell in Japan with Grampus Eight, Wenger was the shock choice as Arsenal boss in September 1996, and 19 years later he remains at the helm, the longest-serving Premier League manager still in existence, by a distance, but a man whose reputation has dimmed in the past decade.

But after years of unfavourable draws in the Champions League knockout phase, Arsenal got lucky in December when they were paired with Monaco, and the Gunners are strong favourites to progress to the last eight for the first time since 2010.

Even Monaco's coach, Leonardo Jardim, concedes his side are the underdogs, declaring: "It's normal that everyone thinks Arsenal will qualify. I too think Arsenal are favourites but, in football, sometimes money and the favourites don't win."

The reference to 'money' is misleading. Monaco have as much of it as Arsenal, thanks to the club's purchase in December 2011 by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. They spent around £140m in new players in 2013, including the £50m that went on prising Radamel Falcao (now on loan with Manchester United) from Atletico Madrid.

Consequently, in the space of a few seasons Monaco have risen from the foot of the French second division to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Like Arsenal, Monaco have stuttered domestically this season and currently lie fourth, 11 points behind leaders Lyon. Arsenal are third in the Premier League, 12 points shy of Chelsea at the top, but given the greater competitiveness of the English top-flight, Arsenal have been justifiably installed as favourites to progress to the quarter-finals, especially as they boast eight wins in their last nine competitive matches.

"I don't know if we are favourites or not, for me it is a 50:50 game," was how Wenger handled the question at the pre-match press conference.

Arsenal's elimination at this stage of the tournament in the past four seasons has, in Wenger's opinion, made them keenly aware of what is required to reach the quarter-finals.

"What we have learnt is that it was on [away goals] or because of one goal, which shows you that every single minute of these games will be absolutely massively important," he explained.

"In the past four years we always came out frustrated because three times we conceded a goal at home in the first 30 minutes. That goal knocked us out. It was really tight. We have learnt from that and we can show that on Wednesday."

As for the prospect of playing one of his old clubs, Wenger gave short shrift to the idea that he may feel a pang of nostalgia when Monaco emerge on to the Emirates turf. "I am competitive and, as much as I respect Monaco, I am focused on my job," he said.

"If I play against my brother it's the same. I give my best. Our job is all about tomorrow. I have never stopped working. I have never had the time to reflect."