Can Arsene Wenger guide Arsenal into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in five years?

Monaco test raises expectations for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, writes Matthew Stanger.

"The last 16 in recent years has been super tough. This is a 50/50 game. We know that Monaco are very tight defensively - they didn't concede in the group stage against good teams. They came back into a good position in the league and their confidence level will be high."

While Arsene Wenger may be wise to adopt caution ahead of Arsenal's Champions League last-16 clash against Monaco, his assessment that the tie "is a 50/50 game" is likely to fall on deaf ears. After four successive years of hitting the first hurdle in the knock-out rounds, this is seen by many fans as the perfect opportunity to progress to the latter stages. Expectations are high.

It is easy to understand why when considering the respective quality of both teams. As Wenger has emphasised, Monaco's defensive displays have stood up to scrutiny this season, with only 20 goals conceded in 32 Ligue 1 and Champions League matches. But Arsenal, having scored 22 times in their last nine fixtures, possess the attacking power to test their opponents' resolve.

Despite the recent setback against Tottenham, the Gunners have found form at the right time to maintain a top-four push and pursuit of European glory. They have won 12 of the last 15 matches in all competitions - climbing to third in the Premier League as a result - and suffered only two defeats. 

It is no coincidence that results have picked up as key players come back from injury. Mesut Ozil has three goals and two assists in six games since recovering from a knee strain, while Olivier Giroud's contribution continues to improve with five goals and three assists in his last seven appearances. 

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Meanwhile, Laurent Koscielny's return to the defence alongside Per Mertesacker has been crucial to a string of solid defensive performances, such as the organisation to keep Manchester City at bay in January's 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.

And then there is Alexis Sanchez who, along with Ozil, brings invaluable experience of routinely reaching the business end of the Champions League. The Chilean has been an unprecedented success in his first seven months at the Emirates Stadium, claiming a goal (17 in total) or assist (eight) every 94 minutes thus far. In terms of the relentless threat Sanchez provides, Monaco are unlikely to have faced a similar opponent.

While the highest praise Wenger has received this season followed his pragmatic approach against City, the opposite will be required against Monaco. Leonardo Jardim's side have struggled to match fine defensive displays with fluency in attack, scoring fewer goals (26 in 25 matches) than 13 of their Ligue 1 rivals and only four in six Champions League games.

With familiar foe Dimitar Berbatov, the club's current top scorer, claiming only seven strikes in all competitions, Arsenal should be confident of preventing Monaco from taking a vital away goal back to France. 

But progression alone is unlikely to satisfy the Gunners' support. Not only will they expect the team to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in five years, they will hope to see some evidence that they can test their next opponent should that aim be achieved. 

For Wenger, this tie brings more pressure than he would like to admit. It's no wonder he is trying to play it down as 50/50.