Nicklas Bendtner pulled on a Bergkamp 10 shirt and slipped in a perfect pass in between Maxwell and Puyol, Walcott who had already started accelerating got to the ball first and finished underneath Valdes

Match Review – Arsenal 2 Barcelona 2 – Champions League

‘After all the hype, it is probably going to be a dull 0-0 draw’

Not on your nelly mate. I had witnessed one of the best football matches that I have ever seen and was left truly emotionally drained at the end.

I am writing this a little later than I wanted to so I will not delve into the match highlights too much, I want to talk more about the spectacle as a whole and our chances in the second leg. It is nice to actually write that last part, because on another day the sentence ‘chances in the second leg’ would not exist.

FC Barcelona were absolutely astonishingly good for the first hour of the game. They might even be the best side that I have ever seen. I have watched many individuals who are/were better players than some that strutted around the Emirates pitch on Wednesday but I cannot remember a team clicking the way that Barcelona did for long periods of the game.

I am a sucker for good football as I am sure many Gooners are, especially with our manager in charge since 1996. Although they are the enemy for these two legs, I had no choice but to admire the effortless one touch passing and movement from the Catalonians.

I expected Arsenal to match them from the start, I expected Arsenal to start on the front foot, playing a game quicker than Barcelona were used to, forcing our offensive players onto them and making Messi track back to help Alves. Both of those predictions were incorrect. Messi did not play from the right, he was floating behind former Gunners trialist Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Barcelona also incorporated some tactical elements from Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea and latterly Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.

We were boxed into our own half, not being allowed time to build from our full backs or central midfielders. As soon as one of our players picked up the ball he was faced with two Barcelona players sprinting after them, making blocks or flicking the ball off the Arsenal toes.

I remember reading an article about the first thing that Pep Guardiola did when he found himself in charge of the first team. He got rid of Ronaldinho and he installed a hard work ethic that had to be applied to each and every member of his squad. He forced the talented Messi to do his defensive work exactly the same as his team mates. It is not only in big games, they press and work like crazy in every game. In European finals or against struggling relegation sides.

This is the one aspect of our game that we have not improved on over a number of years now, we have gone into big games without the hunger to win the ball back when we do not have it. That is a huge disadvantage, clearly something that is not ignored by our Premier League rivals who have enjoyed success against us this season.

We started the season pressing from the front and it worked wonders, look back through the early highlights and our 4-3-3 was in full swing both offensively and defensively. At some point the off switch has been pressed and the work rate has dropped considerably. I am beginning to think that it is a conscious decision from Arsene Wenger. I am sure I remember him saying that if you run around like crazy and then you get a chance to score then you are too tired to take it. I am pretty sure Wenger said that of Thierry Henry in that Champions League final ironically against Barcelona.

When you have a squad riddled with tired and injured players then I suppose playing that way could cause more than one or two problems. The flip side to this argument would be our late goals, are these late goals being scored because we are going through the first 45 minutes in second gear only to crank it up to fourth and fifth if needed? These are the questions I would love to have answered over a starbucks coffee with Monsieur Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal’s best player in the first half was Manuel Almunia but that is understandable when he was the only Arsenal player in possession of the ball for large periods. Teams are not supposed to come to the Emirates and dominate the ball like that. Almunia proved what qualities he does possess. Several fantastic reflex saves thwarting the likes of Messi, Ibrahimovic and Xavi.

Samir Nasri was our best outfield player, he was the one that looked like he could cause the opposition problems, the problem was he needed a fit Cesc Fabregas and he needed a Tomas Rosicky to interchange with as he did so well in the last round against a stunned Porto. Andrey Arshavin was once again on the periphery of the game and before he could make an impact his calf packed in. The way we started the game and could not get the ball, I was actually relieved to see Emmanuel Eboue on the pitch. Judging by the comments, it appears that many other Gooners felt the same. Imagine that being said a year ago when Arshavin could walk on water and Eboue was tied up in a bin liner waiting to be dumped in the rubbish.

Barca’s pressing game was forcing us to launch balls to Bendtner’s head who in turn could only flick the ball straight back to Barcelona. It was a miracle that we got to half time all square. I am sure Wenger would have got stuck into his players about allowing the opposition to play their own game. Before our manager could sit down and watch his players carry out any instructions that would have been given at the half time break, his keeper was picking the ball out of his own net. Much of the blame has been placed on Almunia’s doorstep which is partly correct but our central defenders have plenty to answer for. Alex Song who had slipped back to replace the injured Gallas (it is so normal now, that I forgot to mention it earlier) was nowhere near his man, credit to Ibrahimovic, he produced some brilliant movement and a very cool finish. Almunia should have judged the distance better and stayed at home. Song was on his way back to cover.

The second goal was worse from Alex Song, not goal side and not close enough to the Swede. Almunia made the right choice to stay and was beaten by a thumping strike high past the Spaniard. Almunia is being blamed for going down too early, had he stood tall and Ibrahimovic rolled it past him on the deck then the same detractors would have wanted him to have done the opposite. Oh how hindsight is a useful tool in this life.

So after an hour, Arsenal are 2-0 down at home, cannot get hold of the ball and Barcelona are putting on an exhibition. Flicking and passing past our pressure and stroking the ball around for fun. Most teams would have crumbled and conceded four or five. Not this Arsenal team. Arsene Wenger brought on Theo Walcott for Bacary Sagna. I scratched my head like mad when I thought Samir Nasri was the one being replaced but it seemed like some miscommunication between the bench and the players, so Nasri jogged back onto the pitch. Wenger was going for broke. Eboue and Walcott were going to provide direct pace down the right. It was the final throw of the dice from Wenger.

Theo’s impact was instant. I have always said that Theo Walcott was going to have a part to play in this tie but I thought it would have been in Camp Nou next week. With Twenty minutes to go, Nicklas Bendtner pulled on a Bergkamp 10 shirt and slipped in a perfect pass in between Maxwell and Puyol, Walcott who had already started accelerating got to the ball first and finished underneath Valdes. They say that goals change games well ‘they’ were correct.

Arsenal had already started to get a grip on the midfield and much of that credit goes to Denilson. He was superb when he came on. I turned to my mate and said who is that experienced 29 year old who has just knitted the team together and has got us passing again. He had also made several interceptions in the middle of the congested midfield. It was our young Brazilian who appears to have found his form again.

Barca’s early pressing had dropped and Arsenal’s lack of pressing had increased so the game started to swing in our favour.

Thierry Henry came on which was always going to be special. I didn’t know what was going on when his first touch was met with a chorus of boo’s. I had it explained to me that the Mancs did the same to Beckham after applauding him. Call me a wet blanket but the booing made me feel uncomfortable even if it was only panto. I would have rathered cheers but perhaps I am just being a little too sentimental.

A dramatic ending was always on the cards, credit must go to the rather creative bugger who wrote this script. Spielberg would be proud of this work.

Cesc against his former club, having been booked for a wonderful tackle earlier in the half, playing with an obvious injury was fouled by the Barca captain in the penalty area. Penalty! How? We could equalise after being battered black and blue for large chunks. Cesc smashed it down the middle and hobbles back to the center circle. Arsenal were the more likely to win the game and we were going for it. How?

Amazing character, hunger, determination and togetherness that is how. Cesc was clearly struggling and should have been removed. He couldn’t have helped the team and could have made his injury worse but the warrior stayed on and Arsenal and Barcelona had gotten away with a draw. Yes the side that were in total control had also gotten away with a draw because there was only going to be one winner and that was from the home side.

Now we know the true extent to those injuries. Cesc kisses goodbye to our season and doesn’t get the chance to reunite with Robin Van Persie during the final run in. Arshavin and Gallas both have the same injury problems and will miss the return clash.

Only with Arsenal can we lose three key players and act like it is an everyday occurrence. Unfortunately that isn’t far from the truth. These injuries are happening far too often for my liking. We will be fighting for two major competitions without Cesc, Gallas, Arshavin and Van Persie. Four starters and three spinal players.

We do not have time to cry about it, we have pulled our socks up and got on with it so far and we will have to continue to do so, win lose or draw. It will almost certainly be rotation time for Wolves on Saturday but in the Camp Nou Wenger will have some tough decisions to make.

Many are suggesting that Nasri will be Cesc’s replacement in Barcelona but I am not so sure. Surely a trio of Song, Denilson and Diaby is more suited against the current best team in the world at their own patch. That strength in the middle would then allow for more attacking balance in wider areas, i.e. Walcott.

That is a decision in itself. Does Arsene lose a bit of possession from the first whistle by starting Walcott but at the same time having an outlet that will already be feared. Or does Wenger stick with his ball players Nasri and Rosicky. Emmanuel Eboue is another player who would have a good chance of starting the game from wide.

I think Eboue will start the game ahead of Sagna (as in further up the pitch, not instead of) and Nasri will play from the left. Theo Walcott will be chomping on the proverbial bit from the bench.

No matter which team Arsene selects, it is bound to be a mammoth task, if Barca play how they did in the first half and we do not raise our game then it is goodnight Champions League for another year. We won’t be spared again if that happens but I have a funny feeling that we will raise our game dramatically in the return leg. Wenger will be drumming it into his players that they can match Barcelona’s football, they just need to believe it and not worry about the stage.

Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma and many more teams have watched a team from North London come to their ground and teach them a lesson on playing the beautiful game, this will be the most difficult task of most if not all of the players careers so far.

But if there is one thing I have learnt, it is not to doubt Arsene Wenger’s third generation Arsenal.

Click to read A smorgasbord of observations on Arselona by Squid Boy.

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