2 BIG reasons for Arsenal to be positive about Barcelona

I am not trying to say that Arsenal have got the tie we wanted for the next stage of the Champions League. In fact I put a post on Just Arsenal last week that was along the lines of anyone but Barca, but there are reasons for Arsenal fans to believe that we have a decent chance and not to be too downhearted.

There are more reasons to be positive but I think that two of them could prove to be the key factors in the double legged tie next year. One of them is Alexis Sanchez. Not only will the Chilean have the added incentive of getting one over on his former club and proving to them that he deserved more when he was at the Nou Camp, but his current injury has given our star striker the opportunity to put his feet up and have a proper rest after a very heavy two years of football.

So we can reasonably expect Alexis to be at his brilliant best when we face Barcelona. The second big reason is along similar lines and comes from the way that this season has been organised to cope with the Euro 2016 tournament next summer.

Spain´s La Liga has therefore had it’s usual winter break significantly reduce to just 10 days. Even better is that Barca will be playing catch up in the new year as they are heading off to Japan for the Club World Cup. So while Alexis will have had a nice rest, the Barca players will have played more games and had less rest than usual.

Do you think these two factors might just sway the tie in our favour?

Tags Alexis Sanchez

31 Comments

  1. No not good enough reasons to be happy… Barca are the best team in the world.we are unlucky again but what the hell let’s take the game to barca.give all we can…

    1. Agreed @Seancali.
      The reasons do not counter the fact that Barca are the world’s best team at the moment. We really don’t have a choice now…either we play our best and win (I hope), or we do what we usually do every round of 16.

      1. look we can do it.
        i spoke to a witch doctor outside bennys curry house in kentish town yesterday…
        he verified it

      2. @Arsena007,
        Bayern were deemed the best team in the world before their visit to the emirates, but we still managed to totally outclass them. My point is, no team is invincible…even barca themselves have been beaten twice already in their league. We have all it takes to do them.

        1. True true but what happened in the second leg? We got manhandled 5-1. That’s the thing: one great win doesn’t matter when we lose focus on the second match.

    2. Thank You. Those “positives” are tiny little desperate grabs at finding light in the dark.

      The only positives I can think of is that Arsenal are:

      1. Arsenal are not expected to win so a loss would not be a devastating shock and a shock victory would hailed as a magic Arsenal moment

      2. Arsenal may exit CL early enough to better focus on the league and FA Cup.

  2. alexis with a point to prove could do damage

    lionel messi- unproven unknown guy – apparently ok but will see
    luis suarez- only ever scored tap ins…from 40 yards out…still a tap in..just further away
    neymar…pfft who?! arshavin was better.

  3. let’s just sit back n wait, here hoping we will have another moment like when arshavin scored that goal agaisnt barca. It was unforgetable moment, pure joy..

    1. remember that moment- was literally like busting the ultimate nut .
      i screamed like a girl at a one direction concert

      i saw a man levitate from the joy of that moment
      another fan dropped his crutches and started body popping

  4. The second reason doesn’t matter because barca is a team that wins major competitions every year and is involved in way more competitive matches than us. They cope with the fixture burden every year, and they will again.

  5. We need to increase our staminia, because we will have to play the pressing energy game. You saw 2nd match vs Bayern sitting back doesn’t help. Our big chances will come from counter attack and set pieces. Paulista should be playing. With him, Koscielny and Giroud we will be really dangerous in corners.

    When we take those corners we should keep fulbacks, one winger and DM well back to deter counterattacks, that is where they are the most dangerous.

  6. I thought that the two Big reason’s would have been Sanchez and Ozil lol

    I’m not at all worried about Barcelona,
    As far as I’m concerned, They are more worried about Us than we are of them, because they are expected to beat us,
    Yes, they have a awesome trio up front but their midfield and defence isn’t all that!

    We are more than capable of scoring goals against them, add in the similar tactics used against Bayern Munich
    ( at the Emirate) and we could easily take a two or three goal lead into the second leg… that’s If we have a fully fit squad come February, Of course!

      1. Where did I say that McMuffin? ??
        There’s a big difference between ” not all that” and “pony”

        Eg..
        Barcelona were 2nil up at home against Deportivo,
        they ended up drawing 2-2.
        They could only draw their away games against Roma and Bayern Losser-cruising in the champions league.
        (which tells me that their midfield and defence isn’t all that!)
        We are more than capable of beating them, IF we have all our Key players fit and healthy!

  7. barceloma are an elite class team.Its obvious we are not going to beat them.Their players are leaps and bounds heads and shoulders and light years away from ours.Words arent even enough to describe the magnitude of the gap that exists in between. Their whole starting 11 are ballon dor contendors.

    Anyway we might try to take our chances and bring the game to them.I dont know how they can handle themsleves under pressure or without the ball but one thing is for sure is that their class is unquestionable and their level unmatchable by us.

    We should focus on the pl coz the epl is a bridge too far for arsenal.

  8. barceloma are an elite class team.Its obvious we are not going to beat them.Their players are leaps and bounds heads and shoulders and light years away from ours.Words arent even enough to describe the magnitude of the gap that exists in between. Their whole starting 11 are ballon dor contendors.

    Anyway we might try to take our chances and bring the game to them.I dont know how they can handle themsleves under pressure or without the ball but one thing is for sure is that their class is unquestionable and their level unmatchable by us.

    We should focus on the epl coz the uc is a bridge too far for arsenal.

    1. they lost 2 and drew 1 la liga this season. Are those Barca failed against better than Arsenal? I don’t think so. We can beat Barca as well.They are not invincible.

  9. Anyone know when Coquelin is supposed to return. The idea of flamini protecting us against Neymar, Messi and Suarez is terrifying (although credit to him thus far, he’s dont well in coq”s absence).

  10. Anyone know when Coquelin is supposed to return? The idea of flamini protecting us against Neymar, Messi and Suarez is terrifying (although credit to him thus far, he’s dont well in coq”s absence).

    1. Many, many months. At one point they said 3 months which really means 4 months, plus 1 month to return to match fitness equals 5 months, plus 1 month to shake off the rust in game situations equals 6 months, which thus means next season he will be good and ready.

  11. i cannot understand the 2 reasons in this article. Barcelona have 11 player like Alexis or better. how to match them? maybe we need a luck like chelsea had some years ago to beat them i dont see any other way

  12. Arsenal will surprise many by beating Barca at the Ems in the 1st leg if the Boss is abled to get an all round top quality CB at the January market who can hold Arsenal CB tightly with Koscielny without being breached by the arrays of Barca’s attacking machines.

    I read in the media today that, the AFC secretary saying, Arsenal could have this Ucl knockout game successfully executed over Barca as some the sidelined Gunners would have returned to action from their injuries to boost the attacking options of the Gunners before the 1st leg is played.

    Who then are the Gunners that would have been backed? Welbeck, Wilshere and Rosicky? Have I missed a name? Coquelin wouldn’t have been back. If Welbeck hit top match fitness and top form, good for us. The Boss could delay his signing of Aleksandr Kokorin or any other striker he wanted to sign till in the summer.

    Among Wilshere and Rosicky, none of the 2 is CB or DM which are the main positions needing to be urgently upgraded with the aquacation of 2 new top quality additions for the purpose of knockout Barca.

    If the Boss happens to sign the 2 early in January. The 2 would have put some couple of games under their belts and become jelled in the team before they are made to face Barca.

    I am not saying the Boss should drop Rhinosacker and Flamini from his starting line-up. But he could boost their 2 positions in Jan window to help Arsenal overcome Barca and later overcome other opponent Ucl&BPL teams too.

    The Boss has to try to get the 2 top quality players in January and not depend on the overtures of Rhinosacker and Flamini telling the Boss they can do the Job against Barca. To promise is one thing, to succeeded doing the job successfully is another. The Boss should not be emotionally too attached to Rhino’ and Flamini which could make the him to become heavy hearted to sign the 2 new Gunners to star in their positions against Barca.

    If the Boss finds these 2 top quality players in the BPL clubs, let him sign them. Say, for the combine signing fee of not more than £25m or less. Would the Boss wants John Mikel Obi of Chelsea for his Barca DM job? If yes, let him sign him for a loan or permanent deal in January. Obi is still very good at DMF job. It’s only Jose Mourinho doesn’t want to be using him regularly anymore as he did to Petr Cech.

  13. Messi will be locked up by then for tax evasions; Suarez will be locked up for teethy assaults; Neymar will be injured by fellow La Liga opponents for apparent showboating.

    Arsenal will then get knocked up by them due to dubious ref decisions.

  14. Messi will be locked up by then for tax evasions; Suarez will be locked up for teethy assaults; Neymar will be injured by fellow La Liga opponents for apparent showboating.

    Arsenal will then get knocked out by them due to dubious ref decisions.

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