Kevin Whitcher
It was the third time Barcelona had visited Arsenal since the move from Highbury. A thrilling 2-2 draw in 2010 was followed by a 2-1 Gunners victory in 2011. Five years on, it was the Catalan side’s turn to take the spoils.
It was expected. European and World Champions, on a 30 match plus unbeaten run in all competitions, Luis Enrique started the same eleven that took the field when his side won the final of this competition last June in Berlin. Arsenal fielded what one imagines the manager might currently believe to be his strongest eleven if everyone was fit, minus Santi Cazorla.
Arsenal made a decent fist of it for most of the game, and created good chances. They were either fluffed or called upon Marc- Andre ter Stegen in the Barca goal to pull off a couple of excellent saves. Ultimately, they were not clinical enough. Chances were never going to be numerous at this level, and there was no place for profligacy. On such margins are these ties decided. Just ask Nicklas Bendtner, who could have put his team through on away goals at the Nou Camp in 2011 with a late chance.
You can debate the reasons why, but as the Evening Standard stated last night, Barcelona’s three top scorers this season, predictably the front line of Suarez, Neymar and Messi, have netted 91 goals this season in all competitions. Arsenal’s best three (Giroud, Sanchez and Walcott) have mustered 34. Do the Maths.
Arsenal’s best hope was to play exactly the way they did for the first 70 minutes. Soak up the pressure and select their moments to go forward as a unit, always wary of the sudden break. Barcelona controlled the ball for the most part, but dangerous attempts were few and far between. 0-0 would have been an acceptable result.
After the match, the manager accused his players of not learning from the Monaco match when referring to the counter attack that led to the opening goal. It was a rapier-like combination between Neymar, Suarez and Messi that demonstrated the precision passing and clinical finishing the Gunners had failed to find at the key moments. I’d like to think one of the defenders could have stopped the move with a cynical foul, but I am uncertain they ever got close enough without the benefit of a TV replay I have yet to see.
The second goal saw Per Mertesacker trying to retain possession with a light touch in his own penalty area to cushion the ball off for Flamini. Call me old fashioned, but when the opposition are attacking, I am in favour of the Steve Bould approach of getting the ball away from the area without thought of possession or finesse. There is a time and a place for centre backs to demonstrate their ball skills, and if I were to draw up a list of those, facing Barcelona and doing it in your own penalty area would be pretty low down. The resultant foul by Flamini on Messi and converted penalty cost Arsenal any semblance of hope that they could turn the tie around.
Credit to the team for a good 70 minutes, fashioning some very decent opportunities and giving the fans hope. The atmosphere in the stadium was very healthy for much of the game, and it was good to hear the ref being given the bird so frequently and so loudly. That pressure did not actually influence him, but it is worth persevering with. I found him surprisingly lenient for a European tie, and certainly a few more yellow cards would have probably helped Arsenal’s cause rather than the visitors. Another ref might have sent Jordi Alba off for what looked like a headbutt on Olivier Giroud. Were the Frenchman in a Barcelona shirt, he might have gone down writhing in pain clutching his head, and for all their beauty, the visitors displayed elements of the beast last night with selective fouling the referee chose not to punish them for beyond the award of a free kick.
However, ultimately, look at it this way. How would Aaron Ramsey look in the Barcelona midfield? Theo Walcott on their right wing? How many of Arsene Wenger’s players would get into the Barcelona side? There is only one Arsenal player Barcelona have their eyes on these days and it would be little surprise to see Hector Bellerin rock up at the Nou Camp to replace Dani Alves this summer. The Catalans let Arsenal have one of the club’s best current players in Alexis Sanchez because he was surplus to their requirements.
Ivan Gazidis told fans in the summer of 2013 that, "This year we are beginning to see something we have been planning for some time, which is the escalation in our financial firepower. That is going to happen partly into next season, it is part way available now in the summer, but the following season as well. It is a progression over the next two seasons and is quite significant for the club. We should be able to compete at a level like a club such as Bayern Munich. I am not saying we are there by any means, we have a way to go before we can put ourselves on that level, but this whole journey over the past 10 years really has been with that goal in mind."
Well Ivan, on the evidence of last night’s performance, you have a collection of players that will give of their best, but aren’t quite good enough to “compete at a level like a club such as Bayern Munich”, which for the avoidance of confusion, would mean habitually challenging for the domestic title and progressing to the semi finals of the Champions League. My own view is that you need to look at the club’s internal youth development, transfer activity and how the team is managed if you want to get anywhere near the German club (who had just won the Champions League at the time he spoke those words after making the final the season before).
Arsenal played well and could have won last night’s game, given the opportunities they created. However, at decisive moments, this team generally falls short against top opposition when the pressure is really on. Despite an admirable record of qualifying for the Champions League every season since 1998, the Gunners have not reached the quarter final stage in the last six attempts. Progress?
Let’s see whether a return to domestic affairs on Sunday changes the mood. Defeat at Old Trafford would be unthinkable.
I am now on Twitter@KevinWhitcher01.
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