Who would have thought it...
Arsenal just beat the unstoppable force that is F.C. Barcelona, the team Wenger wants his troops to emulate in terms of style and success. Nobody gave them a chance in hell of winning. I certainly didn't.
Lionel Messi gave a warning to the Gunners inside fifteen minutes with a delightful dinked effort that couldn't have been more than half a foot wide of the post. Rookie keeper Wolciech Szezesny must have been nervously cracking his knuckles watching that one glide over his shoulder, knowing he had another seventy-five minutes to put up with this.
It just had to be one of the big three up front for Barcelona who opened their account at The Emirates, and David Villa did not disappoint when he latched onto a Messi through-ball after 26 minutes. Arsenal's defence seemed too preoccupied with watching Messi, which to be fair is forgivable, but in doing so they allowed Villa to gain an extra yard and they paid the price when he slotted home.
It should have been two-nothing before half-time when a Messi header was ruled out for offside, when replays looked to show the Argentinean being level after Pedro's blocked shot fell to him. Like last season's 4-1 drubbing, it was starting to look a bit like men against boys. It was starting to look unfair.
It's no secret that Arsenal's defence is the weakness in Wenger's outfit. For all their beautiful passing and movement, you need a solid, no-nonsense back line and unfortunately injuries have taken their toll this season. Tonight's selection didn't look too clever on paper, but what choice did Arsenal have?
I never know which Emmanuel Eboue is going to show up. He is an athlete, for sure, but his temperament tends to let him down. The defensive partnership of Djourou and Koscielny is promising but let us not forget a young one, with the Swiss lad susceptible to injuries which has ruled out a decent run in the team and the Frenchman has very little Champions League experience. This time two years ago he was playing Ligue 2 football with Tours FC and it is a big step up. Gael Clichy has been here before, but put the four of them up against the likes of Messi, David Villa and yet another Barcelona starlet in Pedro, all of whom are being fed by Xavi and Iniesta and logically there should only be one outcome.
Wrong.
Somehow, Arsenal did it. Somehow, they defied the odds. They were 16-1 to come back and win at half time, in case you were interested. I wasn't tempted to even consider opening up my online Ladbrokes account. Yes, Walcott looked bright in patches, Jack Wilshire is growing into his role with ease in the heart of midfield and didn't look out of depth, van Persie is in a rich vein of form at the moment... But Arsenal had squandered chances in the first forty-five. You can't afford to do that against a team like Barcelona, because as well as their enviable, effortless passing ability, they will hustle teams off the ball and recycle possession right back at them like a charging bull. And eventually that bull will ram you.
But Barcelona seemed to slow up a little in the second half. They looked to be contented with a one goal advantage, and an away goal at that. However, Arsenal's grit shone through. Robin van Persie rammed home from an unthinkable angle with twelve minutes left to play, setting the game on fire. Victor Valdes was surely expecting the Dutchman to square the ball, but instead watched in horror as he was wrong-footed, committing the cardinal sin of allowing a near-ball shot bend in. Now we had a game on our hands.
The goal shook Barcelona, and suddenly it seemed to be Arsenal's tie to win. Sure enough, momentum took them through and five minutes later Samir Nasri, a doubt before the game and only selected by Wenger an hour before kick-off, latched onto a hopeful ball down the right flank. He found substitute Andrey Arshavin, who has been low of confidence of late but not here. Connecting first time, he drilled the ball around the panicking Catalan defenders, who were being played at their own beautifully flowing style. Barcelona pumped men forward to find an equaliser, but to no avail. 2-1. Game over.
However, the tie is far from over. The away goal is vital to the Spanish giants, who will surely score in their own back yard. Barcelona still haven't won on the road in the Champions League this year, but their performances at Camp Nou are intimidating. These knockout ties always come to life during the second leg, and I expect no different from this one. Despite Arsenal clinching a late victory today, I still firmly believe on today's evidence alone that Barcelona are the favourites to reach the quarter finals.
This was a beautiful match to watch, and a superb advert for football. No doubt UEFA were rubbing their hands with glee when the draw was made; matches like this are what the Champions League was introduced for. The best footballers trading tricks and zipping passes about like it's a casual training session, with 60,000 fans absorbing all the fun.
But one player who won't be joining in for the second leg is Gerard Pique, who is suspended for the reverse fixture with a accumulation of yellow cards. Pique has been ever-present in the Barcelona team since his move in 2008, and whether stalwart captain Carlos Puyol will be fit to replace him is uncertain. This could well be crucial, as Arsenal may have to adopt a different approach of quicker, counter attacking football when they enter the lion's den on March 8th.
Wenger will try to keep his team grounded after what is a superb first leg result. But my prediction for the sequel? Barcelona to win 3-1, which looks like 4-3 on aggregate. Good luck, Arsene. You're going to need it.
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