THANK GOD for Bukayo Saka.
Without him, Arsenal might still be playing without finding the net – the Gunners scored enough glaring misses in both halves to fill an Argos Christmas catalogue.
It was almost three games in all competitions without a goal from open play before Saka stepped up in the 34th and 78th minutes to decide this bizarre Champions League match.
Monaco were incredibly mediocre, defensively naive and offensively stupid, but entered the match thanks to Mikel Arteta's merry band of wasteful wobblers – who ironically only conceded one corner all game.
But in Saka they have a man in form, a man for the occasion, a man whose numbers shine on the world stage and even grabbed an assist from an own goal by the late Thilo Kehrer.
So far this season he has scored 21 goals in 21 games: nine goals and twelve assists.
And since the start of last season, only Harry Kane (18), Vinicius Jr (16) and Antoine Griezmann (13) have been involved in more Champions League goals than Saka: eight goals, six assists.
This stage of Europe's elite competition doesn't look too shabby for the north Londoners either, who are certainly on course for an automatic top eight finish in the last 16 with four wins from six.
Hale End academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, 18, was brought in for his first Champions League start amid yet another defensive crisis that has left Arteta losing sleep.
Just like on Sunday in the 1-1 draw at Fulham, defenders Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko were absent and Jurrien Timber came off for Lewis-Skelly.
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Thomas Partey started at right-back for the second game in a row – another player who missed training in the build-up to this game and was brought in out of necessity.
However, the spotlight was on the other side of the pitch, with Gabriel Jesus starting in just his seventh game of the campaign in all competitions – his first in this competition since October 22.
With only one goal to his name this term, it's easy to see why.
Arteta defended the Brazilian's poor form ahead of the match and insisted he would not leave in January.
Jesus had the chance to back up his manager's positivity with an early goal, but his current form seems harder to shake than a cold.
He was put through from the left inside the first four minutes and his finish softly into the arms of Monaco keeper Radoslaw Majecki was tame and awkward.
A brilliant one-two then allowed Mikel Merino to fire a wonderful ball across goal.
Jesus fell to the ground when he lunged, but he stood on his toes and never got there.
Monaco choked and had to take a breath as Aleksandr Golovin pushed into some space outside the penalty area and worried David Raya with a whipped curler.
A small relief from the French giants.
Martin Odegaard responded with his own attempt to build some momentum and positivity with a shortage of fluidity.
Declan Rice took matters into his own hands by running it long out of his own box and Jesus had acres of green grass to gallop in, but he never looked comfortable under the bouncing ball.
The touch was clumsy and the volley finish invited a save from Majecki's right leg.
How about a do-over? Jesus got that chance a few seconds later, but with the same result: he drove into the penalty area with his shot between the sticks and into the body of the busy Pole.
Arteta kicked the air in frustration, but was soon jumping for joy.
Lewis-Skelly brilliantly wriggled out of trouble and fed Jesus on the left.
This time his touch was good and his shot went across the goal to the far post, allowing Saka to penetrate even better.
A goal that should have put a pin in the fear balloon hanging over the Emirates.
Instead, it got bigger thanks to the biggest miss of them all.
Odegaard pressed on like a maniac, took the ball from a sleeping Soungoutou Magassa, nutty Kehrer and was in for a certain goal.
With this kind of funk, nothing is certain.
The Norwegian took a few looks and went wide. Moments later, Odegaard fed Martinelli only for the winger to do the same.
Whatever had infected Arsenal's shooting boots was spreading.
The half-time whistle sounded in stunned silence. Odegaard shook his head and waved his arms.
After the break the nerves were ringing.
Ex-Hammeer Kehrer headed wide from a free kick and Breel Embolo should have found the bottom corner from a mistake by William Saliba in the 65th minute.
Odegaard missed another shortly afterwards, shooting straight at Majecki from a cross from substitute Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal needed the gift of all gifts, and they got it with twelve minutes to go.
Majecki threw away all his good work by keeping the pressure in his own six-yard area for too long against another sub Kai Havertz, while Saka attacked and showed the rest of his friends how it's done.
Ten minutes later, with the pressure off, even Monaco taught the hosts scoring lessons, as Kehrer stumbled into his own goal after a cross from – who else – Saka.
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