Arsene Wenger welcomes pressure of Champions League match against Monaco

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger relishes the pressure his team are under in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg match on 25 February.

Arsenal are in the last 16 for the 15th consecutive year, and attempt to end a run of four successive exits at this stage against Monaco in a tie they go into as favourites.

"I heard yesterday that Monaco said we have the pressure because we are the favourites, I don't know if we are favourites or not, for me it's a 50-50 game, but even though there is pressure on the game that's what you want to do," Wenger told a news conference.

"The worst thing that happened in my career is to play games without any pressure. I love personally I love that because there's a lot at stake and that's the kind of games you want to play when you're a manager or when you're a player."

Arsenal are on a good run of form with eight wins in their last nine games despite injuries to Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy.

"We can be confident because we won our games and I think we have the right commitment, we have the right spirit in the side to be confident," said Wenger.

"But of course you know it's hard fought games in the Champions League and what we need I think is to be ready mentally, to prepare ourselves to go as far as we can all together on the concentration level."

Wenger, who coached Monaco between 1987 and 1994, has warned his players not to underestimate the visitors as his current team, in the last 16 for the 15th consecutive year, attempt to end a run of four successive exits at this stage.

"It's difficult to get out of the group stage, we have gone out in the last four years that's true, two times against the winner of the league. And what we have learned as well it was was all on goal difference or all because of one goal," Wenger said.

"That shows you that every single minute of this game will be absolutely massively important, because we have gone out yes but just and what we want, we want to stay in even if it is just.

"We are for 17 consecutive years in the Champions League and that would mean we have not learned the lesson that easy is a word you have to ban in the Champions League. It's hard earned, every time we were in there it was hard earned wins. It is always one goal difference you go out or for one goal you stay in, and that means you have to work very hard."

They also have history on their side, having lost just twice to French teams in 20 competitive matches.

Monaco have played English sides 10 times, winning five and losing two, but this is their first competitive game against Arsenal.