Arsenal abysmal in humiliation against Monaco... Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud were dire. But does the blame lie with Arsene Wenger?

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‘It’s too easy for Arsenal – Monaco are like mannequins’. The words of Gary Neville at 7.50pm.

Less than two hours later it was Arsenal looking like the dummies, beaten 3-1 by an average – yet impressive on the night – Monaco side.

In 90 minutes, Arsene Wenger’s team had managed to perform a distressing demonstration of every flaw and criticism which has been aimed at them in the past five years.

Here, Sportsmail takes a closer look at the shortcomings which leave the Gunners on the brink of a last-16 exit in the Champions League for the fifth season running.

Arsene Wenger (centre) slumps into his seat while watching Monaco humiliate his Arsenal team

Laurent Koscielny, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mesut Ozil looked dejected after the injury-time goal

Let’s start at the back, as Per usual…

Per Mertesacker is a World Cup winner, right? He was, of course, afforded a little bit of a World Cup hangover when he struggled for form at the start of the campaign. It’s now looking more like he’s been on a season-long bender.

The German is a liability. Blameless for the first goal which deflected into the back of the net via his torso from Geoffrey Kondogbia’s shot? Not likely. It was a half-hearted attempt to close the France midfielder and it was no surprise to see his limp body serve as a detour en route to goal.

For the second he inexplicably chose to try and win possession some 60 yards from his own goal. It was a baffling decision and Arsenal paid the price as Dimitar Berbatov – yes, the player last season in Fulham’s reserves – climaxed a swift breakaway made possible by Mertesacker’s absence.

His face in the moments after that tie-changing concession told its own story, a pained expression of regret and wondering – wondering, no doubt, just where his career is headed.

After this, you’d say he isn’t long for north London. 

German central defender Per Mertesacker had one of his worst nights in aa Arsenal shirt

Captain Mertesacker (with goalkeeper David Ospina in the background) had an awful night against Monaco

Per’s Kos-tly comrade…

Laurent Koscielny should not escape censure, either. The centre back was nowhere to be seen as Monaco broke and netted the tie-clinching third. Moments earlier he’d been outdone on halfway, his lame attempt to tackle more in keeping with a team chasing an irreversible deficit, and not one trailing by a goal with the second leg still to come. That will ultimately prove costly. 

Koscielny (centre) should not escape blame after an erratic display alongside Mertesacker 

Midfield matters…

In the space of 24 hours we have seen two of the Premier League’s top sides line up with a central-midfield quartet consisting of James Milner, Fernando, Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla.

Is that really the best we’ve got to offer? Arsenal were out-fought and out-thought by the brilliant Kondogbia and cunning Joao Moutinho. Now that is a midfield pairing.

Geoffrey Kondogbia celebrates after scoring the first Monaco goal in north London 

The excellent Kondogbia out-muscles Santi Cazorla - a theme to continue throughout the 90 minutes 

Arsenal, on the other hand, were operating with the in-form – but out of position – Cazorla in a deeper role in which he looked entirely uncomfortable, while Coquelin, do not forget, was a reserve until one impressive performance at Manchester City cemented his place in the side.

When are Arsenal going to sign a midfielder who marries pace and power, craft and graft – like, for example, a certain Kondogbia? 

Wizard of Oz? He certainly vanished…

At £42million, Mesut Ozil was bought for nights like this. Instead, what we witnessed – when he did bother to seize responsibility – was another wishy-washy display, lacking in urgency and invention and slowed down by too many touches. He’s had too many chances now. 

Mesut Ozil failed to unlock Monaco all night, despite being afforded plenty of the ball

Ozil has flattered to deceive since his £42million move from Real Madrid 18 months ago 

French misconnection…

Moments after Olivier Giroud blazed over the crossbar from point-blank range, a graphic appeared on television screens – attempts 6, on target 0.

Giroud just does not boast the clinical mindset of a master marksman. Ask yourself this – would he have scored those chances at home to the likes of a Newcastle? Or even Championship opposition in the FA Cup?

Answer: yes. For he did, bagging braces and accepting plaudits against both the Magpies and Middlesbrough of late.

Amplify the pressure, however, and he crumbles. Top strikers, the ones who make the difference – like Luis Suarez the previous evening - thrive in such surrounds.

Much-heralded good-looks maybe, but Giroud’s finishing was ugly against Monaco. He is another who simply isn’t good enough for where Arsenal want to be, presuming that is further than the last-16 of the Champions League.

Olivier Giroud had a dismal night in front of goal and bore the brunt of frustration from the stands

The French striker (here heading over the bar) missed a host of chances on Wednesday night 

Giroud somehow conspires to fire wide from close range as Arsenal struggled to convert their chances 

Highbury the library?

A library? Arsenal’s old home was a cauldron of noise compared with the hushed acceptance of the Emirates. There are groans, yes, but where is the energy and excitement which would accompany a European night at the likes of Anfield or, say, White Hart Lane?

No guts, no glory…

They say you’ve got to earn the right to play – which roughly translated in Sunday-morning speak means ‘win your battles first’.

Monaco were stronger, quicker and hungrier than Arsenal in every department and were, as a result, deserving winners.

Their last two goals were classy and incisive breakaways. But they had earned the right to do that. Arsenal, meanwhile, earned nothing but a costly continental lesson. Again.

Arsenal's supporters failed to rouse their side out of its slumber on a disappointing night 

Former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov took delight in silencing the boos and scoring for Monaco 

Danny Welbeck looks disconsolate after possession runs away from him in the second half  

So who is to blame?

Poor Arsene Wenger, he’s going to need a shop full of those Arsenal puffer jackets to protect him from the battering he’s going to take if they fail to reverse the deficit in Monaco.

But this is his team, he didn’t inherit it. He is, of course, hampered by injuries. But he shouldn’t accommodate injury-prone players if that is repeatedly offered as an excuse.

It is a team lacking in key areas – namely goalkeeper, defence, midfield and attack.

Against Monaco, each of those was brutally exposed, and so was Wenger.

Wenger must take the ultimate blame, given this is his side and they are lacking in key areas 

Giroud holds his head with Arsenal staring at an exit from the competition