Written by Mean Lean
on
Thursday, 17 February 2011 16:19
Well that was emotional wasn't it?
It was quite possibly the best ever night at the Emirates stadium. Barcelona often referred to as the best club side currently in world football came to Arsenal to win whilst the home team wanted to take on the opposition and put the wrong's of last season's home game right. It made for possibly the purest of football matches since we moved into our new home from Highbury.
There was certainly no sussing out period, both teams flew out the blocks and tried to stamp their authority on the game, there were no surprises either. Samir Nasri started the game and started in his familiar left side position, squashing my pre match thoughts that Walcott could start the game in the position that he finished on the weekend.
The opening 10 minutes were electric. Two skilful boxers exchanges punches from the very first bell, but it was Arsenal who looked more likely to open the scoring. Theo Walcott tormented Barcelona once again tearing through the middle but his reverse pass to Van Persie was over hit and with Nasri screaming out for a pass on the other side.
Walcott was back at Barcelona a minute later, jinking inside two men from the right and finding Cesc square of him, our number four scooped a pass into the path of Van Persie who struck a volley from a tight angle against the palms of Victor Valdes. It was a great chance but it certainly wouldn't be the last Van Persie chance from a tight angle.
Barcelona then started to empower their game on us and their ball possession was quite amazing even with the Arsenal players pressuring them around the midfield.
There was a difference in approach from the two sides that I saw a little clearer last night, both in possession and both without the ball.
Barcelona pressed far higher up the pitch, not allowing our full backs or center backs to have any time on the ball. Barcelona made it very difficult for us to build up our game from the back, we had to work very hard to break free of that pressure in our half but once we got into their half and Barcelona were on the back foot then we had much more space to play in than they had.
Arsenal allowed their defenders to have the ball and Van Persie dropped back into midfield. Our defenders were pushed up high with the intension of flooding the midfield and not allowing them the space to combine and dominate the game. Barcelona are technically so good that even with a very limited amount of space they started to find each other with superb one-two touch football.
They seemed to be so calculated in their attempts to get in behind us. Pedro, Villa and Messi taking it in turns to make runs through us with the player on the ball sliding it into the space behind us.
Messi should have scored in 14 minutes, Villa found his diagonal run, Szczesny made himself big for as long as possible and Messi's chip across the keeper bounced wide of the far post.
In the first half we started to struggle with their pressure and lost the ball to their pressing. I felt like our defenders were not given enough passing options and the midfield were too far away from the man on the ball. Eboue and Clichy often had to beat one or two players before they were able to find Song, Wilshere and Cesc. This is why our build up was often broken down before it started.
Once we got beyond their attacking defence we were very dangerous and could have scored more than two goals on the night.
Barcelona threatened to get behind us a few times but for over hit passes, offsides or good goalkeeping awareness but on 26 minutes Barcelona got it right. Villa timed his run to perfection and Messi flicked it through. Gael Clichy was playing Villa onside, watching the ball instead of looking along his line. Understandably as taking your eye off the Barcelona players at that moment could have been dangerous. Villa ran through and slotted past Szczesny for the opening goal of the game.
Messi had the ball in the net seven minutes from half time after stooping low to head after a deflection but the decision was incorrect. Lady luck must have been shining on us.
We created some very good chances, Wilshere setting up Van Persie but his shot flew wide of the near post when the far post could have been the better option especially with players in the box.
Alex Song had picked up an early yellow card and I had feared the worst every time he brought down a Barcelona player. I like many was hoping that Song would come off for Denilson to avoid the red card that we worried about. Denilson would also have been a good outlet for the defenders. Denilson manages so many passes because he makes the right angles on the pitch, he passes and follows the pass, offering himself to receive the pass. We could have done with him in the latter stages of the first half but whatever the manager said to the players at half time should be typed out and hung on the Arsenal dressing room wall.
We kept our heads up and started to carve through Barcelona with our own fantastic brand of football. Jack Wilshere was doing to Xavi and Iniesta what he had been doing to Wolves on the weekend. Dropping his shoulder and spinning away from his opponents and finding the right pass. He escaped the Barca press time and time again with wonderful feet and early passing.
The only other Arsenal player on the night to surpass his performance was that of Laurent Koscielny. A truly amazing display from a player who will become the best reader of the game at the back in Europe. He was immense, robbing the Barcelona attackers of the ball and playing passes like a creative midfielder. He had not put a foot wrong all game and without his inclusion in the team then the score would have been different.
Barcelona, like last season were beginning to tire. They were beginning to drop off their pressing and that is when the Arsenal came to life.
A mate of mine was championing the idea of replacing Song with Arshavin and the idea of Barcelona over running us in midfield scared me but that was the change that Wenger pulled out. Barcelona had replaced Villa with Keita a minute earlier so we knew what their intentions were. They were happy to drop off and kill the game off but we had other ideas.
Bendtner came on for Walcott 7 minutes later and our formation had shifted. Arshavin on the left, Nasri on the right with Bendtner supporting Van Persie in attack.
The impact was almost instant, Clichy clipped a wonderful right footed pass into Van Persie's stride, Bendtner was screaming for the ball in the middle but Van Persie audaciously slammed the ball into the near post through the smallest of gaps past Valdes. An incredible finish from Van Persie who had been struggling to find his shooting boots prior to that.
The Emirates atmosphere was truly amazing, the players were visibly lifted and had their tails up. Five minutes later the stadium erupted.
It should be of no surprise that Koscielny started the move with yet another interception from the back. Messi's intended reverse pass to Iniesta was read by the cultured defender, he didn't panic and whack it forward. He found Bendtner on the right who drove inside and played a short pass to Wilshere. At 19 years of age, two Barcelona players reaching to get the ball, Wilshere opened up his left foot and played a first time pass into Cesc sitting in a pocket of space. Wilshere had a picture of that pass before Bendtner received the pass.
Cesc turned and curled a lovely outside of the foot pass into Nasri who was running through on the right. A fitter Nasri may have ran it alone but instead he checked inside.
I had fallen on my knees at that point, thinking that the chance may have gone. Robin had run to the back post, how was Nasri going to find him there? up popped Arshavin at the bottom of my screen. Nasri's left footed pass across the penalty box was perfection and Arshavin's popped finish around the Barcelona players into the corner of the net was poetry
"AAARRRRSSSHAVVVVVIIINNNNN!!!!!" I screamed pumping both of my fists forward and backwards.
I turned around and my mates were jumping around the living room in headlocks.
This is what being an Arsenal fan is about. Sheer joy. What a finish, what a move. Barcelona carved apart by Wenger's growing and maturing team.
2-1 to the Arsenal against the mighty Barcelona. It doesn't get much better than that.
I absolutely loved the reaction from Szczesny. Doing pretty much what I was doing. You could see the passion on his face. He is not just an employee from Arsenal football club. It meant something to him and we need players like that.
He produced a great save in the final moments by smothering a cross in the dying minutes.
It is amazing to think that his Premier league debut was against Manchester United whilst his Champions League debut was against Barcelona. Nothing phases the big Pole and he will continue to improve and make life very difficult for Fabianski to get back into the team.
The final whistle blew and the cheers went up around the Emirates, they had witnessed a very special night. I wish I could have been there but I will never forget the match and especially the feeling when Arshavin scored.
Conclusion
It was a fantastic victory for the team, we played against the best team in Europe and won. The game showed that Arsenal are improving and with a largely fit squad we have a team to challenge anyone. It also showed how good the opposition are. Cesc Fabregas claims that Barca are the best club side in the world ever. I don't know about that but they are certainly the best team that I have seen in my years.
So our victory is not even half the job, it is basically a quarter of the job. Barcelona will be a different animal at the Camp Nou. We will have to retain possession better than we did last night but we certainly have the ability to score goals over there. It might require scoring at least two to progress.
Whatever happens in that game, this game will live long in the memory and the players can use this feeling to go all the way domestically. Our domestic opponents will have watched this game and it should strike fear into our rivals but more importantly our players need to believe that with hard work and application we can beat anyone we face and we should fear nobody.
Wenger has been proven right, he has built a fantastic squad of players who have been doubted time and time again. Only a few sides have beaten Barcelona and one of those sides are Arsenal. We continue to grow and improve and there is no reason why we cannot get even better.
I am very proud to be a Gooner today. These are the type of games that remind you why we love this game and our club so much.
Szczesny (7.5)
Eboue (6.5)
Koscielny (8.5)
Djourou (7)
Clichy (7)
Song (6.5)
Wilshere (8)
Cesc (6.5)
Walcott (7.5)
Van Persie (7)
Nasri (7)
Please note that ratings are only my interpretations of the game and that others will have differing opinions
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