We screwed up in the group stages and we knew we were going to pay for it. Schalke would have been the most favourable team, followed by Bayern, Real then Barca of course. We will be playing an even stronger Barcelona team with the addition of David Villa who may well do more damage than Zlatan. It's not a pretty sight to be torn down by Messi and co. and seeing the Special One's Real Madrid receiving a 5-0 drubbing is neither an encouraging prospect for any opponents of Barca.
Right after the defeat last time around, Wenger acknowledged Barcelona were by far the better team and he would look to the transfer market to improve the squad. 8 months on after the thrashing at Nou Camp, are we a better team? We've got Squillaci, Koscienly and Chamakh added to the team, but is the outcome going to be any different...
Barcelona has a team of World Cup winners with their players competing for top individual honours, while Arsenal at times look like a team waiting for Cesc to pull the strings. The fact that Barca has a very mature team that has been working together for many years, winning the Champions League on twice in the last 5 years and is probably the best team in Europe. Messi, Villa, Iniesta, Xavi...the list goes on.
The most important thing for Arsenal is not start the game defeated , which is absolutely crucial. Memories of the first half at the Emirates and the second leg in Nou Camp would haunt us for a long time, but we have to put that aside and play 2 wonderful matches. Put this in simple terms, it would take an amazing effort to beat Barcelona over two legs. I am not that confident of a victory, but I have the belief if we play our best football, we can show Barca they are not invincible.
My 10 pointers for Arsenal to win the game
10. No silly goalkeeping errors
We have error-prone keepers at the club and we have to work with it. But on the day, we can't afford to concede goals due to silly mistakes.
9. Have Vermaelen and Squillaci as center backs.
Vermaelen hasn't featured much this season, and the key is for him to get a good run of games before the showdown. A very dreadful Silvestre played in Nou Camp last season and it was very painful to watch Arsenal not closing down players quick enough.
8. Rest some players in the prior match
Fixtures indicate we play Wolves and as much I like to win the league, the Champion's League is a big priority as well. It's one of the best opportunities to create history so it's pivotal for Arsenal to have fresh players on the pitch. It's a huge source of revenue for the club too.
7. Force long range shots
This might not be such a good idea if you think of the quality of the Barca players. Iniesta, Xavi and Villa are not exactly the most physical players in the game, and if we could out-muscle them and limit their plays to long range shots, we stand a chance.
6. Samir Nasri
By far the best player for Arsenal this season and playing his best season so far. Time to step it up against the world's best and prove yourself.
5. Go on the offence
We've seen on many occasions how Arsenal prefer to sit back in big games, this must change if we're going for mission impossible. Our defence is not the best I've seen which means goals are going to be conceded. This leaves attacking the only way to win.
4. Win the first leg
We got one hell of a beating at in the first leg last time out, but we were not outscored. There must not be dominance so early on by Barca and we need to win by two clear goals if we we stand a chance.
3. Full-backs on Messi
Sagna and Clichy have a half each of responsibility to guard Messi. It's going to be the toughest job in football, but if the Barca are going to be stopped, Messi is the number one target.
2. A successful 4-5-1 formation
If goals are going to be the theme in the two games, we will be outscored. The only way we are going to win it is by clamping down on the Barca midfield which is the obvious strength of Barca. Alex Song is going to be the most important player in the middle of the park, and he has to try to close down as much of the plays from the centre. Arsenal are not going to score many goals in this formation and thus need at least one clean sheet. Chamakh may be deployed as a lone striker, and he too has to be at the top of his game.
1. Have Cesc Fabregas over two legs.
Our captain, our inspiration, he is going to be the man giving us a chance of victory. We need him over two legs and we need him fit. It's going to be a very tough Nou Camp return, but he still has a lot to prove and there's no better time.
Two teams with similar styles of football. Barca are clear favourites from the start but Arsenal may have also been their toughest draw possible. We've beaten Real Madrid (with Zidane) and at that time World champions AC Milan in the competition before, so it's going to a big battle to bring us down. With our swift and scintillating style of play, we are going to do whatever we can to win this. Come on Arsenal!
~deyao~
