Written by Wenger Boy on Friday, 18 February 2011 13:49

First off - what a game! I must have watched the Arshavin goal back forty times so far and the combination of crowd, commentary and a super flowing move still gooses my pimples something rotten. 

Whatever happens in the next leg this result is something we can be really proud of and, like reaching £1000 in ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’, no-one (not even Chris Tarrant) can take it away from us. 

But despite the manner of the victory – which we apparently snatched from Bastardlona like a cheeky, cockney pickpocket – people have been saying we were lucky, that we were outclassed and that Xavi’s balls shine and sparkle in the moonlight like a precious amethyst. 

Let’s look at the wonderful stats which back this claim up:

Arsenal only managed to claim 33% (or 34% depending) of the possession - something that only really seems to happen against Barca given our passing superiority over most other teams.

Barca out-passed us 744 to 369. That’s almost double. Again, a quite incredible stat when compared to the majority of our games.

Their pass completion was 92% to our still respectable 85% but the top six passers (total passes/touches) were all from Barcelona. Again we were clearly taught a lesson in keeping the ball and keeping it well.

But hang on a second. Something’s not right here. 

Isn’t every single one of those statistics related to passing? So what they’re essentially saying is that if you out-pass your opponent then you outclassed them? 

Golly. That’s news to me, I must say. I thought when we completely out-passed teams like Chelsea and Man U and still lost that we were comprehensibly beaten? Was that wrong then? Passing is clearly the most important thing in football so I guess we must have been the best team in the Premiership for ages. What a relief.

And what about when dominated games against Wigan or Stoke but didn’t take our chances and lose? Are we then not wasteful and lacking a cutting edge? I guess the truth is that we out-classed them all and that we are due some retrospective praise for all the matches we’ve lost in this manner. 

On the other hand, however, I would like to present some further stats for you. How about:

Shots on target (Arsenal 5, Barca 5); off target (4, 3); crosses (20, 15); corners (4,1); tackles won (89%, 85%); aerial duels won (57%, 43%). 

Clearly, in the stats that illustrate the important events of the game most – attack-related stats, rather than possession – we probably edged it on the night. A team can have 95% of possession in the middle of the pitch but if they don’t put in a cross or shot or anything then it’s all pretty worthless so while possession stats say a lot about the feel of the game they don’t say much about what really happened – everyone remembers Messi’s chip just wide of the far post but no-one remembers Busquets’ 86th pass.

While possession indicates dominance in some respects – of the ball - it is not necessarily related to chances created and, as the clichéd adage goes, if you don’t shoot you can’t score (which is not strictly true but you’d have to be pretty lucky to win without taking a shot). There are however other types of dominance, specifically of chances created and in this respect neither team can claim absolute precedence in the match. 

The fact is we both created enough chances to score more goals than we did, Arsenal just did it with less time on the ball. Which, if you were economically or statistically minded (like, say, Monsieur Wenger), would tell you that we were much more effective. Compared to the amount of time we had the opportunity to attack (roughly half the time Barca did) we had more shots, more crosses and more corners so we were, quite arguably, double as effective as Barcelona. Possibly more. 

Suddenly the victory doesn’t feel quite so snatched now does it.

And even if all of these stats haven’t made a compelling case for Arsenal’s superiority on the night then there is just one more stat I would like to throw at you:

Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona

And that, my peeps, is the only stat that matters. 

WB

P.S. Obviously there has been much due praise awarded by fans to lil’ Jackie Boy (and Koz-chell-knee) but there was an interesting quote this week that showed me just how much he is already respected amongst other footballers.

After being asked to play an unfamiliar holding role against Denmark, Jack said (if you haven’t already seen it):

"I spoke to Frank Lampard before the [Denmark] game and he said – 'don't just sit, we've seen you can go forward, so if you want to go forward just tell me and I'll sit'”

The fact that Lampard – a seasoned England professional, part of the international set up for years and regularly one the top scoring midfielders in the Premiership – said to Wilshere on his first start for England (!) that if he wanted to get forward just to let him know and he would sit – I just find that fantastic. Lampard already has enough confidence in Wilshere to restrict his own role as an attacking midfielder in order to encourage this young talent to get forward in his place. Wow. What a glowing reference.

Just had to share that with you.

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Comments (16)

• 18-Feb-2011 14:02 | | Anonymous
  

  

• 18-Feb-2011 14:06 | | dan  - well said
  

  well said mate!

• 18-Feb-2011 14:07 | | Daryl Booth  - Fat Frank, corrected
  

  I think you will find the thought of running forward carrying fat Franks guts had more to do with his comments to our Jack than his confidence in him. Frank was right, for the wrong reasons.
  
  
  Good post by the way.
  
  According to the UEFA stat pack we out numbered them on shots (on & off) target. Thus proving we were more `efficient` with our possession of 35-39% (depending of which paper you read)
  
  Fingers crossed for the second leg eh.

• 18-Feb-2011 14:13 | | Boe  - Top article
  

  Great stats that back up my thoughts on the night. I remember the feeling all around me at half time was that we had played well but just couldn't always compensate for their periodic brilliance.
  At full time they we were totally eurphoric on how well we had played and competed.
  We obviously knew that media would not report it that way and as always we weren't disappointed!!

• 18-Feb-2011 14:17 | | bobbyp
  

  Excelent article. Love your stats. Well done fella.

• 18-Feb-2011 14:19 | | Wenger Boy
  

  Exactly - the media praise was always going to fall Barca's way whteher we won or lost, simply because of they way they play.
  
  Every compliment was tinged with a warning and every positive stat was balanced with a negative. Much like it was before the game, only slightly less blatant.
  
  Even if we beat them over two legs it will be because they have had an off day, just like if we win the title it will be because the others were weaker.
  
  That, I'm afraid, is the plight of the Arsenal fan.

• 18-Feb-2011 14:22 | | raj
  

  Great post..as you hinted even if we go out that night is gonna live long for a long time..and if we do go out i thing that will definately help us towards winning the league

• 18-Feb-2011 14:23 | | Tom
  

  Great game. Always knew we had the ability to hurt Barcelona.
  
  We're massive underdogs for the return leg, but our extra energy could be decisive. The key is ensuring that we aren't dead and buried after the first hour or so.
  
  If we're still in the tie with 20 minutes remaining, I think we can out run and out last them but its a big 'if'.
  
  Knowing us, we'll knock Barca out and then capitulate to Spurs. If that happens I'll jump off a bridge.

• 18-Feb-2011 14:26 | | emma  - Arsenal
  

  I am glad someone read the game like i did. Possession wise they had the ball but percentage wise it was in the midfield and their defence that generated 60 percent of the possession and not in arsenal territory.Arsenal were more vibrant and effective with the ball, moving it quickly. Second half we could have won it 4-1. They couldn'tn cope with our speed and that made barca to tire out. Funny someone said they took off the pedal on the gas and controlled the match and if it weren't for the replacement of David Villa it would have ended in their favour. Watch the second half again and you will discover that Villa was tired and conspicously absent and the coach made a tactical decision to bring in keita a fresh leg to stop the forays of arsenal attack cause arsenal were in the ascendency. His intention was to choke the midfield but wilshere did brilliantly his movement and passes were second to know. Englishmen should be proud of this kid. He showed that he is England's future. Arsenal will beat Barca in Nou Camp mark my word.

• 18-Feb-2011 14:35 | | Gau
  

  I noticed that statement too. What I felt more was some never before respect for the guy from wife stealing land.

• 18-Feb-2011 14:35 | | simon
  

  Exactly, when we batter a side but drop points because we haven't taken our chances, we "lack a cutting edge" or "can't close the game out".

• 18-Feb-2011 15:51 | | gogo
  

  I think the most interesting stats will be how many of those billion passes that Barca made were actually forward because I think only 20% were. They held the ball but quite often passed back because our players pressed them well. In opposite, every time we got the ball we tried to pass it forward so if we compare the forward passes it might turn out we had more than them.
  After watching the game 2 times I still don't understand why everyone says they dominated. My impression was that we were much more dangerous going forward and created more goalscoring chances.
  
  Very proud of the team.

• 18-Feb-2011 18:54 | | Eagleye
  

  I actually applauded you when i read this: "I thought when we completely out-passed teams like Chelsea and Man U and still lost that we were comprehensibly beaten?"
  
  It seems like everyone is more impressed by Spurs victory than anything we've ever done in europe. I find the whole thing ridiculous but conclude that it's because we have a french manager and not a dodgy twitching english one.
  
  I like everyone am nervous about the return leg but in the two visits we've had to the nou camp under Wenger it reads, drawn one, lost one (Both times we scored).... lets hope the next visit is a win.

• 18-Feb-2011 21:47 | | TrueGooner
  

  And here is something that irritates me. It seems some in the media can't say Jack Wilshere without mentioning Bolton as If Bolton is the reason he is a good player. Didn't they see him in the emirates cup before he went to Bolton.

• 18-Feb-2011 22:43 | | MeanLean
  

  A little late in the day but I have finally read the article and it is yet another quality piece from Wenger Boy.
  
  I have had to double check the Arsenal score because it appears as if Barcelona beat us by 5 goals given the reaction in some quarters, Quite weird really.
  
  Imagine all the butt kissing had it have been good old Arry's Otspurs who beat Barca.
  
  Once we got out of their attacking pressing it looked quite easy to score against them and we should have scored more than the two we did score.
  
  It's gonna be tough out there but given the quality of our squad, it certainly will not be impossible.

• 19-Feb-2011 11:18 | | Mohoops  - My 180 on Lampard
  

  nice read I must say, I used to have a huge dislike for lampard, partly due to his on-pitch demeanor, or my perception of it, & partly because of how
  the media raved so much about him being 'world class'..
  
  But a few weeks ago I listened by chance to that LBC radio phone where he phoned up persoanly to defend himself(Its on YouTube), & the way he spoke & conducted himself, you couldn't help but admire the guy, I know it's not really Footy related but that kind of sh*t matters to me, he's a proper man, with honour & selfrespect, & so in light of that these comments which show real humility, don't surprise me at all
  
  don't forget lampard was CAPTAIN for the game, first time ever from the start too, cant blame him if he wanted to stay forward & try to get a goal & the headlines, but no, none of that..top man..
  
  Oh & ofcourse..jack is wonderful!lol

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