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Emmanuel Petit backs Arsenal to make Champions League history vs. Monaco

Emmanuel Petit believes Arsenal have what it takes to make Champions League history at Monaco.

Having lost the first leg of their last-16 tie 3-1 in North London, Arsenal need to become the first team ever to advance in the competition having gone into the away fixture needing to score more than once.

Arsene Wenger's side swept aside West Ham 3-0 on Saturday in the Premier League to record their seventh successive domestic triumph, and now need to reproduce a three-goal winning margin at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

"They can do it," former Arsenal and Monaco midfielder Petit told Le Parisien. "The players owe it to themselves to take revenge. In the first leg, they were below-par in everything. They were unworthy of Arsenal's class. They also owe it to the supporters to avenge that defeat.

"Motivation will be easy to find. There is a feat to be achieved, like PSG against Chelsea. Arsenal can make history by qualifying."

Petit added: "The trap for Arsenal will be to go forward gung-ho. Wenger has to find a balance and his players need to be more efficient. If Arsenal score early, they will sow doubt among the Monaco players."

Petit started his professional career at Monaco, wearing the Principality club's colours for almost a decade -- the early part of which he worked under Wenger, before eventually following him to Arsenal in 1997.

"He's a mentor with a paternal role, like for many of his players," Petit said of Wenger. "I am very happy to have been alongside him for 12 years. His man-management suits me perfectly. There is always a lot of respect and exchange. Wenger is more than a coach.

"He'll have a lot of flashbacks coming back to Monaco. It's the same for me. Each time I return to Monaco or Arsenal, everything comes back. The emotions will be very strong for Arsene."

Teams have only come back from having lost a Champions League first leg to make progress twice before, and Arsenal's task is all the more difficult given Monaco's remarkable defensive record in the competition.

Leonardo Jardim's men did not concede a goal in three group-stage games, and only allowed opponents to find the net just once in six outings in the initial phase.

The hosts' bid for a first Champions League quarterfinal appearance since their run to the 2003-04 final will be bolstered by Ricardo Carvalho's return, with the defender fit again after a three-month absence.

Carvalho, 36, played the full 90 minutes of Monaco's 3-0 Ligue 1 win over Bastia last Friday, and he told L'Equipe that he is ready to help his club keep Arsenal at bay.

"Everyone knows surprises exist, and we have to respect Arsenal," he said. "We played well over there, but we need a second at our place otherwise it won't be enough. And Arsenal have nothing to lose. We'll be under a little bit of pressure after what we did there.

"We have the advantage in terms of the score, and it's good for us, but we have to finish the job off and defend well. We need to stay compact and we'll have to be good with the ball. We mustn't defend all the time. Everyone thinks Monaco are already through, but not us."

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