Tottenham Hotspur tasted bitter defeat on their return to the Champions League, and Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim has said that Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal had a part to play in their victory.
Spurs’ first Champions League game since the 2010-11 season ended in defeat. A record home crowd of 85,011 people saw Tottenham lose 2-1 to French side Monaco.
To be fair, Monaco have been quite dominant of late. The current Ligue 1 table toppers did beat PSG in their second game of the season. However, Leonardo Jardim believes that their victory over Arsenal at the Emirates two seasons ago was a big factor in the win against Spurs at Wembley.
“In terms of tactics and how we set up we were determined to put a stop to, and close Tottenham down during the transition because I think they’re very strong in that area of the game,” Jardim said after the game, according to International Business Times.
“In terms of how we prepared mentally we tried to think back to how we were emotionally when we played Arsenal at The Emirates. Similar surroundings, a big packed stadium and against a tough side so that is what we drew upon for this game.”
This was Monaco’s sixth straight win in all competitions. They now stand a good chance of topping Group E, with a home tie against Spurs and two games each against CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen.
Although Gooners are always more than happy to add to the misery of Spurs, they will be hoping that they had a different role in this one.
Monaco knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League in the round of 16 in 2014-15, as they qualified on away goals after winning 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
Two years later, the French side have inflicted a similar humiliation to their bitter North London rivals Tottenham. Spurs now have to pick themselves up and make sure they live up to the expectations from here on in.
Group E is set to be quite a competitive one. Monaco have gained just a slight advantage by winning against Spurs in the away fixture and bagging three points, while CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen played out a 2-2 draw.
