AS Monaco striker Dimitar Berbatov said that Arsenal were punished for underestimating them in their 3-1 home defeat to the French side during the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.

Former Manchester United and Spurs striker Berbatov, scored the second goal for the Ligue 1 team at the Emirates after a deflected strike from Geoffrey Kondogbi had put Monaco 1-0 up at half time. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled a goal back for the Gunners, but suffered a late blow when on the counter Yannick Ferreira Carrasco scored a third goal for the red and whites.

The result leaves Arsenal's hopes for qualifying for the Champions League quarter finals hanging by a thread and Berbatov believes that the Gunners' attitude towards the supposedly easy tie may have cost them.

"If you are a professional football player you don't need to underestimate anyone in today's football and today we showed that if you do, then you get punished," he said.

Arsenal will travel to Monaco for the second leg on 17 March, a game in which the Gunners must score at least three goals to progress.

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