Berbatov vows to use insider knowledge to thwart Gunners

Veteran striker Dimitar Berbatov will use all his insider knowledge to help his Monaco team-mates "do their homework" on Arsenal and get his unfancied team into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Dimitar Berbatov: Has scored seven goals for Monaco this season.

Monaco were viewed as one of the weaker seeds having scored just four goals during the group stages as they edged into the last 16 ahead of Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, set to face his old club, claims the tie is very much “50/50”, despite the Gunners’ good recent form.

Berbatov knows Arsenal well from his time in the Premier League with Tottenham, Manchester United and Fulham.

The 34-year-old, who left to join Monaco in January 2014, fully understands the challenge which awaits the Ligue 1 side, but is confident they can progress.

“We know it is going to be a difficult game and we will be the underdogs, but we came for a good result, have prepared well and hopefully we can achieve it,” said Berbatov.

“I have told my team-mates this will be a tough game.

“Being back here is great for me, playing in this stadium.

“I have had some good moments here, scored a couple of goals, and also had some bad moments.

“It is nothing new to me. I know the games, I watch them on TV, Arsenal are playing very well.

“They are a team who work a lot of passes, try to play the combinations, football the way it should be played. They play on the counter with quick players and very technical.

“Maybe this will be new for some of my team-mates, but I have explained to them that it will be difficult, so they need to do their homework, and our coach will prepare us for the game.

“Hopefully we can do what we came here to do.”

Berbatov has scored seven goals for Monaco this season and feels settled in the principality.

“I don’t think (that I have changed my game) otherwise it is not going to be me,” Berbatov said.

“I play the way I play, you probably know I have never been the quickest player around, but always try to be quick in my mind.

“When you get a bit older, you gain more experience and you try to put it to good use, to help yourself in different ways and also the young players.

“My job is to help my team-mates and my team, with my goals, my assists and advice to the young players because in our team we have a lot and they have a great future ahead of them.”

Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim sees no reason why his side should not be confident of rising to the challenge.

“Clearly a number of teams were hoping to draw Monaco, but it does not mean that we have less ambition going into this game,” he said.