Firstly, given the circumstances, it was no disgrace for Arsenal to exit the Champions League at the hands of the reigning champions, especially given the recent form of a young man who is almost certainly the best player in world football at present. Nevertheless, even if it was no surprise, it was disappointing for a number of reasons.

One was that Arsenal were genuinely in the game for the opening 20 minutes of the return leg, and even took the lead. Walcott should have shot when he set up Nicklas Bendtner for his goal, although his decision making did not prove costly. However, 3-2 up in the tie, moments later, Diaby was through with Walcott a cert for a gilt edged chance on his right, when he chose to pass it left to Bendtner and the move broke down. It was the turning point of the match. A second goal for the visitors having all sorts of implications. However, ties like this can be decided on players taking rare opportunities when they are presented, being composed and clinical. When the stakes are highest, generally, quality will win out.

Barcelona were like a wounded beast, and attacked with the quality that their visitors lacked. By half time the contest was over. The second half saw them preserve energy ahead of their match with Real Madrid on Saturday. If Arsenal has pulled the score back to 3-2 on the night, they’d have simply scored more. As it was Messi contented himself with just the four goals. It really was fill your boots time and no pleasure to see an Arsenal team being taken apart in this way.

What was saddest of all was the tactic of the ball being passed back to Almunia and him lumping it forward in the hope that Nicklas Bendtner, largely unsupported, might latch onto it. Some hope. We deride Liverpool for such tactics, and yet here were Arsenal doing exactly the same. I have a memory of the possession stats at the end of the first half being 71 – 29 to Barca. That it ended up 61 – 39 merely reflected the hosts allowing Arsenal to pass it around at the back for most of the second half as they saved themselves, job done. The irony of Almunia’s long ball tactic was that when the Gunners won a free kick around the half way line, they always played it short rather than get players into the box and try and lump it into an area where it might actually hurt.

Remember that players were rested against Birmingham and Wolves as the manager prioritised the Champions League over domestic concerns. Two points were dropped, almost four. I genuinely believe Wenger felt his team last night could get the result they required, but in many senses of the word, he is a dreamer. It would have been a big ask for even a full strength team to win this tie. The loss of Alex Song was probably the final nail in the coffin, although I doubt his presence would have made any difference to the outcome. I rated Arsenal’s chances of going through after the first leg as about one in 25 to someone enquiring about tickets for a potential semi-final.

Arsene Wenger has attempted to build a team from a group of largely youthful players, but one thing struck me last night. Barcelona’s developed players joined the club younger than Arsenal’s tend to, and are mainly drawn from Spain. Arsenal’s equivalent are developed, play in the Carling Cup, go out on loan and are then sold. Those the manager prefers to work with are not coached in the Arsenal way until they are bought to the club at 17, 18, 19. And these players are untouched by Liam Brady’s department in most cases. So there are different models. It is significant to remember that the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Puyol, Bojan and Pedro were developed by Barca long before Pep Guardiola was manager. They are genuinely steeped in their club tradition in a way that Wenger claims Arsenal’s players are. However, only one side played in the manner that is true to their ethos last night. They, co-incidentally, won comfortably.

Barcelona were missing four players who would have been guaranteed starters in their eleven last night, Arsenal were without five. So yes, Arsenal were weakened, but not to the degree that some might imagine, in comparison with their opponents. Yet they were played off the park for the decisive periods of this match as they were not good enough to simply hold onto possesion of the football. The Champions League is Arsene Wenger’s cherished dream, the competition he will sacrifice others for. Yet he failed to win it even with the great side of 2002-05 that won five trophies in four seasons. Tactically, he does not have the acumen to win with a lesser team, but he will continue dreaming, and continue falling short. Once again, his side were exposed when facing a team of the highest level. It was no surprise, but no pleasure. Credit to Arsenal for making a fist of it for 20 minutes, and having witnessed the two legs, the 6-3 aggregate scoreline looks almost respectable. I hope the players can watch the tapes of these two matches until their opponents’ play is ingrained in their minds and they start producing similar football, regardless of the quality of the opposition. Wenger’s players were taught a lesson in this tie, let’s hope they learn it well.