Everybody, even most Arsenal fans, think that the Gunners have no chance at all of beating a star-studded Barcelona side next Tuesday, but then again everybody said exactly the same thing before Bayern Munich came to the Emirates earlier in the season.
I think that Arsene Wenger actually enjoys being the underdog, and is trying to make the Spanish giants overconfident before our big game, but, as he rightly points out, we have beaten them before.
It was five years ago, and after Barcelona dominated the game, Arsenal bounced back through Robin van Persie and the little Russian Andriy Arshavin. Wenger remembers the night well. “The memory [I have] is that the winning goal was scored by Arshavin after we suffered for a big part of the game – we should be encouraged by that,” Le Prof said. “We suffered in the first half and in the second half we slowly came back into the game and became very dangerous.
“That should help us in our [upcoming] game against Barcelona. If we have uncomfortable moments then we should have in our minds that we can still win even if it is difficult.
“It was really special [to win in 2011]. What I also remember as well is that it reminded me of how football is really as a team because you can deliver something exceptional.
“Three or four days later we went to Leyton Orient and drew in the FA Cup. In the same week that we were on a high, we were down again, but it will certainly be remembered as one of the exceptional nights at the Emirates.”
It was an amazing night, but no more amazing than the win against Bayern Munich, who were considered invincible up to that moment, having won every single game they had played in the months leading up to it.
Yes Barcelona are good, but they are certainly not unbeatable. Admittedly they haven’t lost in any competition for 30 games going back to October, but Bayern Munich beat them back in May in the Champions League, so why can’t we beat them next week?
COYG! Believe!
The team that wins over two legs or on goal aggregate goes through. Winning one game 2-1 and then losing 4-0 is useles. Wenger should raise his ambition.
Very true over two legs we have zero chance against Barcelona’s MSN,we should just forget the champions league and focus on the premier league
Zero chance in football? I disagree. Assuming a certain S bites someone on the 10th minute and is red carded. Then one M has serious fracture the next 5 minutes and a certain Le Coq then shawcrossed one N without the referee seeing, they are finished. I bet you.
That aside, do you thing our boys will just lie low and give themselves up to be beaten? No. One Hector B would want to prove a point. A Sanchez will show that he wasn’t finished. Oz11 will claim WC and a certain Welbeck (big match player) will remember what he did to RM in MU jersey. Note me.
You disagree ? We don’t have enough players with the mental strength to win over two legs that’s a fact. If we play so predictable against Southampton how easy do you think Barca will find playing against us at home ? We struggled against Bayern in our home game and got dismantled in the away game, yet Barca completely toyed with the Germans. There’s a HUGE gulf in quality between our squads and we will need a lot of LUCK if we stand a chance of going through. But knowing Arsenal, they NEVER make their own luck.
Arsenal can beat any team on their day. Barcelona can also beat any team on their day…
It’s gonna be an exciting game. But one thing I know is ‘Arsenal’ won’t go into the game with a ‘losing’ mentality and I like the fact that we are the underdog… Its a win/win situation for us. We might stun the world by winning or lose as expected..
I see how barcelona play.
And a way to beat them is to try and fit players like welbeck and giroud in the same team.
or start with walcott with giroud coming on as a sub.
And try to bring chamberlain somewhere along the game
we’d soon find out!
The answers to ur questions are on the way
this time they have a front three of Neymar, messi and suarez….. Who knows exactly what to do with the ball at their feets
….nuff said!
Finally someone with a little logic. Each of these players can carry a team on their own and create goals out of nothing. Look at how Liverpool humiliated us when Suarez was in the team, Arsenal fans should stop being so confident or they will end up having violent thoughts like they always do whenever we lose.
Sorry I didn’t mean we should stop being confident, I meant we should stop being so over-confident
and yes………we can have barca beat
but it all comes down to
1) Team selection
2) Tactics
3) pre-game and in play mentaLity
4) Right substitutions
If we get all these right…. Then i dn’t expect score Lines Like 5-0 against us
what sort of stupid stunt is this???
The media Linking a 34yr old micheal carrick to Arsenal on a free transfer
Nonsensical….and annoying
bring in the garbage Truck!
Why is that such a surprise to you matey? ?
Be disappointed … but never be surprised ??
I for one wouldn’t be surprised if Carrick rolls in as a typical Freebie, wenger signing! ?
And don’t feel butt hurt if Carrick is our only summer signing either ???
We signed Kim Kallstrom so it shouldn’t surprise to you if Wenger is interested.
We won’t beat Barcelona over two legs,we’ll probably have a tight win at The Emirates then lose heavily at The Camp Nou that’s what always happens even against Bayern we won 2-0 then lost 5-1 so on aggregate it was 5-3!
Barcelona are not unbeatable. Therefore, Arsenal can beat them on Tuesday night at the Ems as a 1st step to beating them again in their own backyard, the Camp Nou to the SHOCKING of their partisan home crowd supporters.
In this ambition, the Boss MUST rest all his preferred starting XI 1st team starters but just 2 for the Hull FA Cup game. Save Koscielny and Welbeck, none of the senior Gunner regular starter should start in that our FA Cup match against Hull City Tigers on Saturday. I am sure the Boss knows this fact and his aware of it. And I believe he will rotate the Gunners for the Hull match. Let’s deal with Hull 1st. Then we’ll come Barca. One thing at a time.
Carrick would be perfect for the Arsenaltreatment table.
His time on the treatment table compares favourably with all our long term injured players.
Seriously, if the rumour is true Wenger wants certifying. He’s now began to bring in already injured players.They don’t even have to play to get injured.Think of the kits that won’t need to be laundered.More money saved.
I really think that Arsenal should put up a resilient performance at the Emirates and nick it with an odd goal and go to the Camp Nou and defend for their lives to secure a draw. That’s the only way I see for us to qualify. Am I optimistic?! No. Can it be done?! Hell yes.
Odd goal? problem is………. We don’t know how to shoot!
Even when we attempt to do that, it gets blocked or goes wide
I have noticed that CL teams seldom use the park the bus tactics that are previlet in the Premiership. Much more open game I feel.
That’s because most teams in the CL are obsessed with playing football the “right” way. They view defending resolutely as a sign of weakness, they then try to go toe to toe and end up conceding ridiculous goals. If you look at England’s most successful team in the CL in the last 5 or so years it’s been the team that knows how to play without the ball and doesn’t mind defending for long periods, Chelsea.
For all the possession you see teams have against Chelsea rarely do you see the opponent look like scoring. It’s why Man City have such a poor CL record, they only know how to attack. Similarly we tend to overcommit and then get punished on the counter or concede soft goals because we’re not use to playing without the ball.
If you look at many of the recent finalists or semi finalists, it’s not the super aggressive ball hogs you see there with the exception of Barcelona and Guardiola’s version of Bayern , it’s teans like Juventus, Atletico, Chelsea and to a lesser extent Madrid.
I have nothing against Wenger, even though many on here think that I do ??? I’m just against bull?!! ??
And the way that he keeps coming out with it!
Here’s a manager who tries to talk up belief when he lacks it himself! .. Didn’t he only recently say that he thought that our title dreams were over at half time, against Leicester?
The past remains in the past and it’s all about the now and the tomorrow’s, so there’s no point in boring people with the “when I was a lad, back in the day” crap! ? reminiscing the good old days.
I was more confident about beating Barcelona at the Emirates, with Koscielny and Gabriel in the team, but it now looks highly unlikely that they will both start and even by some miracle, if they were rushed back for this game, I doubt that they would both be 100% fit.
With our current situation, there’s only one way to play against Barca, who have not been that convincing away from home in the champions league.
Just like our home game against Bayern Munich, they will have the majority of ball possession and will they will be attacking in waves! We need to be disciplined with our whole team defending and waiting for the right moment to counter attack…Preferably when they get tired towards the end of the game.
Personally, I would change our formation for this game,
Maybe a 5-4-1 to start with, keeping it very tight and deep at the back and then changing it to our more accustomed attacking formation late on in the second half.
Lesser teams like Deportivo La Coruna have proved this system to be successful in their away game at Barcelona,
(Where teams normally get hammered ) they were 2 nil down, yet they thought back to get a 2-2 draw late on in that game.
As per usual, wenger will be relying more on luck than anything else against Barcelona, instead of really having any kind of game plan. ?
Now u have to woner why i got thumbed down for saying………”we can have barca beat
but it all comes down to
1) Team selection
2) Tactics
3) pre-game and in play mentaLity
4) Right substitutions
” guess one can never understand how Trolls think
You seem to forget in our home game Cazorla was in the side and Koscielny wasn’t injured. Without Kosc and Cazorla we have no chance of dominating the midfield.
4 reasons
1. Messi
2. Suarez
3. Neymar
4. Rest of team lol
If it was one match, id see your point but this is out of two legs.
We beat Bayern in first match, then got destroyed in the second match. Thankfully that was just the group stage. Not a two leg match but our matches were back to back to illustrate
I would love to beat them but we are definitely underdogs in this.
Even if Arsenal do get past Barca there is Bayern and still nobody in the world of pundits would give gunners as a possibility and it simply does not happen. Arsenal will need to show football at best and hope that chances are taken. Barca are just too good for giroud but he can do a job on them. Arsenal need strength and pace along with quick release of the ball in the middle of the park . In 2011 Arsenal did not win any title and looked stupid with Pep’s team who like possession but this side is painful to play against, The first half is where they will try to score but with some momentum Arsenal can play counter-attack.
Because they are the best in the world and we can’t win. They buy players to keep being the best we buy a player in Jan and don’t play him? We have GP but he keeps picking BFG week in week out. The man has no clue how to win against a team of brilliant players. What will happen will be F Q sent off and he will say this is why we lost. Big thing here is who will leave this summer for teams that won’t to win OZILL? A S ? LK
Tbis manager must go sorry all do the thums down rubbish but we all no it’s true. Look at tottingham Young manager with fresh ideas. And that’s sad that they will finish above us or even win the EPL
While Barca may be blessed with three outstanding attackers and fairly good midfielders there defensive line constantly make errors, which are not capitalised on by their opponents in spain, it will be a rather different situation playing against arsenal. This arsenal may have not been at their best from the season has started, but have a great chance of improving with players returning and pressuring for the starting roles.
I expect arsenal to have a 2-0 lead going back to spain which will be a great bonus and for all the doubters we will see who will be going to the last 8
This is your doctor speaking … You have a very serious condition. Please get back on the meds before you find yourself self harming under a lamppost in wengerland and your head is exploding
This is football,no club can claim to be 100% going to beat another.what matters is the performance of that given day..2 teams,50/50 chances