Liam Mackey
ARSENE Wenger had promised us the real Arsenal but for at least an hour last night what we got was the continuity version.
A bright start, when Robin Van Persie might have given them the lead, flattered to deceive, and for all the familiar quality they showed on the ball it was mainly aspirational stuff compared to Barcelona’s almost flawless mastery of possession. Had Lionel Messi been more clinical in front of goal, the Gunners would have been staring a Champions League exit in the face even before half-time.
The small mercy for the home side was that their defensive vulnerability was exposed just the once, a characteristically lancing run and pass by Messi allowing David Villa to beat both the offside line and Wojciech Szczesny in a flash.
But Wenger is clearly onto something when he talks about a new resilience and maturity in his young side, qualities personified in the precocious performance of Jack Wilshere, of whom the highest praise one can offer is that he wouldn’t have looked out of place in the opposition line-up.
And in a stirring five-minute spell late on, Arsenal turned the game on its head. True, Barca seemed more intent on containment than further conquest at that stage, seemingly lulled into the belief that the hard work was already done. That can be a fatal error against a team laced with game-changing talent, even if it took a Bob Wilson v Steve Heighway 1971 Cup final impersonation by Victor Valdes to give Van Persie an unlikely route to the corner of the net for the equaliser.
No such reservations about the winner, however, which was a classic Arsenal counter-attacking move linked together by the quick-thinking class and guile of Wilshere, Fabregas and Nasri and, given the stakes, finished with impressive composure by Andrey Arshavin.
The psychological boost of finally beating Barca at the sixth attempt will be considerable for Arsenal but, contrary to all the conventional wisdom concerning European ties, it shouldn’t materially change the balance of the second leg. And that’s a credit to the way both sides play the game.
The primary object for most teams travelling with a goal advantage would be to protect their lead. But Arsenal don’t do protection. Or, at least – as even Newcastle United discovered - they don’t do it very well. Wenger’s guiding principle had always seemed to be: why park the bus when you can make it go va-va voom? As for Barcelona, the idea that they will now have to “come out to play” is fatuous since they simply know no other way.
It sets up another mouthwatering night for the purists but you’d have to fear for Arsenal. It’s virtually unthinkable that they could shut-out the Catalans in the Nou Camp, so the Gunners will almost certainly have to score at least one. They’re well capable of that, of course, but the problem is that, on their night, Barca can score almost at will – especially if Messi finds the shooting boots he mysteriously mislaid at the Emirates.
But, for now, Arsenal are entitled to bask in the glory of a memorable night and a wonderful game at the Emirates, even if it’s hard to shake off the feeling that their 2-1 defeat of the invincibles pretty much defines the meaning of a pyrrhic victory.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/4kt2QkBnh28/post.aspx
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