We all end up disappointed…..
Arsenal did not get over-run by the so-called ‘best team in the world’ and it looked like a closely-matched tie for the first 70 minutes. In fact we could easily have been in front if we had taken any our opportunities to score, Oxlade-Chamberlain especially. We said before the game that we needed to put our chances away, but as has happened a lot lately we simply can’t find the back of the net.
As Wenger said after the game: “Of course I’m disappointed because we put a lot of energy into this game. I felt that we lost at the moment that we looked more capable of winning the game, and we also lost it in a way which we could not afford to give them. It’s a bit disappointing to give them the goals that we did, especially the first goal. I feel that we were extremely guilty and have no excuses for that goal.”
Arsenal had played well tactically and had used the counter-attack strategy well, but we ended up being beaten by our own tactics after rushing forward. Wenger continued: “We were disciplined defensively but we knew that if we had to keep it at 0-0, we would keep it at 0-0. They are better than us, everybody knows that, but I think we could’ve won the game tonight if we kept the discipline until the end. Once again, like against Monaco, exactly the same thing happened. We were caught in exactly the same way.
“Barcelona master all aspects of the game. As soon as you’re in a bad position, one or two players can punish you. We had two or three opportunities to stop the first goal which we didn’t do because I don’t think we had the right response to the situation that our players faced.”
The annoying thing as that we did come close to scoring just prior to Barcelona’s goal, as Giroud described his disappointment afterwards. “It’s possibly the turning point,” the France striker said. “I had a duel with the defender and I think that I headed the ball well but the keeper did very well.
“We were not cautious enough of their counter-attack [afterwards], which is a model counter-attack, and then they finished it well. We couldn’t score in the first half after we played well on the counter-attack and were dangerous.
“We couldn’t finish our hard work and it’s disappointing because at the end of the day we’re 2-0 down and our chances of qualifying are very small. There’s a lot of disappointment.
“I said before the game that we needed to be cautious if we could not win the game and not concede goals to keep our chances high for the second leg. In Barcelona it is very, very difficult to win, so we can have regrets after [the first leg] because we didn’t finish our counter-attacks.”
So yet again Arsenal have failed to score again, but at least this time we can say we didn’t score against Barcelona instead of saying Hull City, Southampton or Stoke!
watching barca over the weekend, suarez had a 1:1 with their goalie and he chipped it. he knew somehow or didnt think about it. thats the difference: today ox just did the most obvious & straight forward thing: shoot straight ahead. its what the goalie is prepared for. giroud too: so many times: head straight into the middle of all the possibilities. its super hard to teach that coolness. maybe when they are in form, they are just that 1% calmer and it comes. i hope we get our shooting boots on. if we do, we can win the PL. OTOH if our scoring form stays this way , it will be super hard for our defenders. cech has kept us in the PL this season i think. i was hoping hull would be the chance for a sanchez, ox and maybe theo to find some form. i still think we can beat MU who’ve been cr*p all season. we should put the CL behind and focus on PL and focus on MU who we can beat. lets play the way we were at the start of the season: we’re possibly better at away games anyway. sit back, counter-attack. that will win us at MU. but we’ll need to focus for 90min, not 70min.
We should be proud of our team, it was energy and desire coupled with good tactics and a good game plan. For all of barca’s possession they didn’t trouble us at all in the 1st half and didn’t have a single shot on target. Our defense was immense im so proud of bellerin and monreal.
We arguably should’ve won we created clear cut chances but didn’t take them which is disappointing. I think this game will give us belief for our remaining
fixtures in the prem, if we play the way we did yesterday against United I think we’ll blow them away again.
Stop belittling our performance just look at the barca players social media page look how happy and relieved they are cause they know we took it to them. I really hope we win the prem so we can push on next year and really challenge for the CL were only 1-2 pieces away. COYG
Can’t keep the 4th place junkies down for long … Last time I watched football is a 90 minute game and in real time the easiest chance in first half fell to Suarez in last minute ….. Perhaps u should ask the Donald to take over the board as he also promises quick fixes for those hooked on desperate delusion ….Let’s make arsenal great again … We’re gonna beat stoke and west brom big, trust me … I can tell you no Muslims will be playing for arsenal (….except that German guy) ..
Why do you keep saying Barca players are happy and relieved for the win?should they not celebrate a win?you’re talking nonsense they absolutely overpowered us in the 2nd half Neymar,Suarez and Messi all hadclear cut chances we’re lucky it was only 2-0!
Cause Giroud sanchez and ramsey didn’t have chances in the 2nd half? And there is a GIANT difference between celebrating a win and being relieved
Hahahaha……….some will do and say just bout anything to defend mediocrity
.
Shallow way of thinking at its finest!
This is Arsene and The Arsenal’s biggest undoing.Mediocrity isn’t resolved when it repeatedly rears its ugly head in the most crucial of times.I mean don’t tell me Wenger doesn’t know who Barca are and how he would approach the game.
Granted,we are all human and have our weaknesses,but for the love of the ball why can’t he strive to instil the right quality of heart and desire and attitude that is required when playing at this level or better yet,at all times.It’s been years now! To an outsider the players look like some pampered meerkats,(them senseless selfies et al). SMH! get off your behinds and burn some real oil,don’t bore us with after-the-game excuses like,’wasn’t meant to be’,’we were below average’ dross and the like…!You are the masters of your own glory.Grab It,Damn!
and still the result is 0:2…..with a mission to over-turn that tie at camp nou!
Hahahaha ….R16 whoop
Its better than losing to Monaco
Why the f**k do you keep laughing what kind of fan are you how annoying could you be
I think many of us on here have been saying what we have up front is not good or clinical enough. Last night was testament to this. In our league games we miss easy opportunities all the time, but the difference is we have an extremely creative midfield so we end up having just enough chances created to get that one or two goals to win games.
Not last night though, we always knew our chances against Barca would be limited that is why Ox’s miss was so frustrating as I believe that goal would have changed the whole atmosphere of the game. I really wish Wenger would stop messing around and just bring in a world class CF like Cavani, who is a constant threat and can score goals from any situation. Giroud, Walcott, Chamberlain, Welbeck are all too one dimensional – we need a CF who is good in all areas and ALL the top teams have a player like this.
Giroud must be benched Welbeck must start all 12 remaining league games he has the pace and strength to get in behind with better management he can be a great asset
If gary neville managed a 1 1 home draw with barcelona and we lose.
Seems to me we are gonna get thumped 8 2
Wenger has stated that Barca are 95 % to go through to the next round.
Might as well give Barca a bye then eh?
Focus on pouring everything out on ManU now! Let’s kill them like they weren’t even there. And go to Camp Nou with a fearless mind. I still think there’s a 1% chance of a big big upset if we just lace our boots that day.
don’t waste resources we don’t even have trying to overturn the tie at camp nou
go thr with our second string players excluding OX, and flamini….. U’d see the difference
no mert, no giroud, no ox, no ramsey, no mertesacker
in place of em Iwobi, welbeck, campbell, elneny , gabriel , cazorla
u’d spot the big difference!
Thank god no one takes you seriously cause that Id be really embarrassed if I were you
Forget I said that im just pissed bro
Hahaha……….@Goonsquad8….. U dn’t represent everyone here…….. Keep ur assumptions to urself
I can never be embarassed for seeing the Light and revealing the hidden truth
if that’s what it takes to make my Arsenal move Forward…..stick with ur philosophy, i’d stick with mine
Trolling my every comment only suggest how hurt u feel deep down of u everytime i tend to say something true…..L()L
Naw it ain’t you im just upset about the game it’s just another what if. So my bad for taking it out on you
It was WRONG tactic to start Giroud against a high pressing side
He can’t get anywhere near the ball and when he does he can’t run with it
When would we learn?
Some of his fans will say coz he defends during corner kicks and free kicks, but barca has only short guys, and we had the Mert the ducker, really Welbeck should have started
I thought before the game that Walcott would start, but he has hardly been on form lately. Giroud did well and was unlucky not toscore. Great save from their keeper
I think its time we try Welbeck, he is mobile and I also dont see why we put Flamini when chasing the game?
ADMIN COMMENT – No insults! we are not in a playground. Discuss politely or go away….
Sorry to say 85% Arsenal fans are born mugs no wonder the club are ripping them off!wake up people!
Yes if we could only finish we
would have won that game.
I thought the starting X1
were outstanding.
The defense were amazing and it took
the best team in the world 70 minutes
to break us down by which time the whole
team were out on their feet.
Play like this in the league and we will definitely win it.
Bring on Utd.
Absolutely right @dnz
Yeah I thought the same, if we closed space and man like that every week we would be something special.
The thing about our league compared to theirs is how their strikers are brimming with confidence from the get go, whilst we went into match with a crisis of confidence in front of goal. I know it’s easy to say now but I would have liked to see Danny start this one, maybe he would have found Ozil ..Ox and Giroud didn’t even bother looking, adrenaline rushing though their bodies was visible.
Ouch!………….. That’s a step too far………. I’d have hope they just get replaced by better qualities or get relegated to the bench
Need a strong defender to replace Per. Gabriel should get a good run of games to get his confidence and should replace Kos. Defensive discipline is something which always eluded us.
Ramsey should be sold to aston villa or newcastle where he can play as a striker.
Need a good striker, who can create that fear factor and can convert half chances.
Need a new Manager, with AW arsenal will not win PL again, forget about UCL.
I usually prefer Gab for when playing top strikers but when we concede possession 70% and are all on the d I think that this is when Mert plays his best game. I know he went short instead of long but if that is the only thing a player puts foot wrong well then he didn’t do a whole lot wrong. Mert and Kos were in no mans land for the first goal but I’m willing to bet that this was instructions from the bench (I understand the thinking of it but we were doing OK with forwards only attacking instead of giving them support) MNS just couldn’t find a way around Mert or Kos and Ramsey Coq in front were even more stubborn.
I don’t think people should just round on the names that they think are not good enough full stop because if you dissect the match Mert and Ramsey were very steady defensively speaking and were playing SMN and co. Alexis and Monreal were the two having most trouble but mainly because of Alexis lack of cover.
I’m glad some of us can express their true feelings about our beloved team faith.It is nothing to do with the loss against BARCA but we ( the objective ones ) know long ago that a change is needed in our team. Yes, thanks to AW for what we achieved but it is time to get someone like SIMEONE or BIELSA OR SAMPAOLI..pressing and one touch passing mentality and most specially will get rid of the under developed british core plus deadwood and bring the 3 players we have been beging for years now WC ST, WC DM AND WC CB ( 100 millions spend max ) to added to the other 3 WC we have who I’m dreading 2 of those will want to move to a team with ambition ( i will not call them traitors ). we should have throw the 35 millions for AUBA.. 25 for carvalho and like klopp is doing got howdes or someone of that caliber then our SPINE would be perfect to compete with the likes of BARCA, BAYER AND MADRID..we do not need a bunch of galacticos just 5-6 then keep the good ones we have to a balance team..next year i fear the demons..with KLOPP..PEP..MOU..CONTE..POCHETINO..and middle table teams getting stronger..even if we win this year EPL ( being there for the taking )I STILL INSIST IN CHANGES…we are not in the elite any more..it sadness me..it hurst us because we got the finances.
All the openions about having other “more clinical finishers” is too theoritical. No one can say that having Cavani or Higuain in last night’s game would ve given us victory. Can Cavani run all field length and wedth performing both attacking and defending roles? would Higuain be in the same spot as Ox last night to begin with so that he scores that chance? the current Arsenal squad members comlement each other; each one having strengths and weeknesses. If we had other players last night we may have one 1-0 or may have lost 5-1.Point being: we played well last night, we creates chances, we missed chances (even messi misses sometimes). In mid second half, we went for attack and lost our defence commitment for a very short period. Barca exploited that a we got punished.We still have PL and FA cup……and why not getting a moral victory against Barca in a couple of weeks. Who knows…..
If we had Cavani we wouldn’t even have been facing barca by nw, we threw everything in the group stages due to the same stupidity every year. You say even Messi misses sometimes, yes he does, but our strikers are extremists in the field of missing goals, that’s why the whole of Arsenal team have scored almost 30 goals less than MSN alone
I understand what u r saying don. But i dont think than one or two players could reverse the ultimate poor performance in the first two matches we had in CL. We could depate how these two losses happened. But if the objective of topping the group is just avoiding facing barca, then we will not be winning CL anyhow. If u are saying that we should change many players and the manager, then ok. But u know this is not realistic. Our players did ok last night. It could ve gone our way with our existing players. Barca capitilized on our lack of defecive discipline at mid second half and won.
I understand what u r saying don. But i dont think than one or two players could reverse the ultimate poor performance in the first two matches we had in CL. We could depate how these two losses happened. But if the objective of topping the group is just avoiding facing barca, then we will not be winning CL anyhow. If u are saying that we should change many players and the manager, then ok. But u know this is not realistic. Our players did ok last night. It could ve gone our way with our existing players.
I think the most disappointing thing about that game is the fact ..a little more discipline and we are Barcas biggest worry. Ive seen many teams play barca but not many who look ideally set up to punish Barca big time. We were excellent in almost everything defensively speaking, right up til our defenders along with our two rocks in CM decided to play much higher because they smelled a goal. I think our tactics were working exactly as planned minus the finishing but for me that was only a matter of time. Heading to Spain with a clean sheet was most important as we see with away goals every year but never learn, so it’s very very frustrating when we switch off and don’t even know how to commit a professional fowl after witnessing how 70 minutes of proof that Arsenal are not so far away from being a real danger to any team on planet. I came away from game imagining what might have been if Danny had started this game instead of last and if our players had more confidence in front of goal what might have been but also with some nagging doubts on Arsene Wenger and European football.