Arsene Wenger will be going up against his old team for the first time on Wednesday when Arsenal faces Monaco in the Champions League.

The Arsenal manager was coach of Monaco for seven years, from 1987-94, before heading to Japan. He had four seasons with Nagoya Grampus before moving toArsenal, where he has since led the London club to 15 straight appearances in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Arsenal, however, has been eliminated at this stage of the tournament for the last four years, twice by Bayern Munich and once each by Barcelona and AC Milan.

"When the first game is at home, you play with the desire to score but know that every goal you concede can be deadly," Wenger said. "You must find a balance between free-spirited attacking and being cautious enough to defend well - that will be down to experience.

"We have experience in this competition. This is a good opportunity to show it."

Arsenal finished second in Group D, but has won eight of its last nine matches. Monaco won Group C and conceded only one goal along the way.

Here are some things to know ahead of Wednesday's game:

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HISTORY ON MONACO'S SIDE

Monaco hasn't played Arsenal before but the French league club has done well against English opposition in knockout rounds.

In 1997, Monaco eliminated Newcastle from the UEFA Cup to earn a place in the semifinals, and then knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League the following year at the same stage.

Under coach Didier Deschamps, Monaco beat Chelsea in the semifinals to reach the 2004 Champions League final.

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ARSENAL ON THE UP

When Arsenal lost at Southampton on New Year's Day, the team fell to sixth place in the Premier League, four points behind Manchester United and a place lower than north London rival Tottenham.

But while Arsenal's display that day was slow and ponderous, Wenger has since galvanized his squad into producing a formidable run of form.

The Gunners are now third in the Premier League, above United and Tottenham, and have produced some astonishing winning displays.

Arsenal routed Aston Villa 5-0 at the Emirates on Feb. 1, two weeks after a shrewd counter-attacking display saw it stifle Manchester City's attack in a 2-0 away win.

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PRESSURE ON BERBATOV

Since returning from injury in January, Dimitar Berbatov has been struggling with form.

Despite his poor record this season - only six league goals in 18 matches - Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim keeps using the Bulgarian as his main striker.

"He is used to playing at a high level, although he is not at his best at the moment. But if he is in good condition, he can put on a real show for the fans," said Jardim, whose team is lauded for its solid defense but lacks attacking spark.

With the loss of Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez, Monaco's attack has disappeared, too. The club has scored only 26 goals in 25 games.

At 34, Berbatov is not as fast as he used to be and can't play week in week out anymore. But the former Tottenham striker's technical skills remain intact and Jardim has no other option than fielding him for the big games.

"I prefer to see him play less matches, but with more intensity," Jardim said. "He is a high-quality player and remains the No. 1 striker."

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KURZAWA'S RETURN

Monaco's 1-0 win at Nice last week was clouded by Layvin Kurzawa's injury.

The France left back, who already missed a big chunk of the season because of a hamstring injury, took a knock on his thigh that forced him off the field during the first half.

Kurzawa did not train Monday but has been included in Jardim's squad alongside midfielder Nabil Dirar, who remains doubtful with inflammatory shin pain.