Football: Arsenal knocked out of Champs League

Monaco players celebrate after the final whistle while Arsenal's Santi Cazorla leaves the pitch after their Champions League round of 16 match. Photo / AP.

Arsenal exited the Champions League on Tuesday despite beating Monaco 2-0 in their Champions League last-16, second-leg clash in Monaco but losing on the away goals rule after the tie finished 3-3 on aggregate.

A first-half goal by Olivier Giroud and then Aaron Ramsey 11 minutes from time gave the Gunners hope but desperate defending by Monaco saw them hold on to reach the quarter-finals.

Monaco emulated fellow Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain in eliminating a Premier League giant from this season's competition as PSG knocked out Chelsea also on away goals last week.

"The best team went through," said Arsenal's captain Per Mertesacker.

"Monaco deserved it because they played much better in the first leg.

"We played well today but it was a massive deficit, and it wasn't enough tonight.

"We came here and tried absolutely everything, and when you look at the game we could have scored more than two."

Manchester City will endeavour to save English football's honour on Wednesday when they bid to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg against Barcelona in the forbidding surroundings of the Camp Nou.

Tuesday's other match between last season's finalists Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen went into extra-time after Atletico levelled the tie 1-1 on aggregate with a first-half goal by Mario Suarez.

-AAP