Punch-Drunk Arsenal Bruised but Resilient

A timely substitution and a gutsy effort from injured helmsman Cesc Fabregas rescued Arsenal from abject defeat and left a masterful Barcelona side wondering what it takes to earn a win at the Emirates.

The Start

Though clearly favored to advance to the semifinal, the titleholders played like the team with something to prove for the first hour of play. They clamped down tenaciously on the Gunners’ middle and defensive thirds with relentless speed that didn’t seem to flag until well into the second half.

In the first half of play, wherever an Arsenal player appeared with the ball at his feet, he was immediately challenged by a yellow-jerseyed Catalan.

A somnolent Arsenal side seemed willing to concede the middle third of the field, allowing Barcelona to undertake a multi-pronged attack that burned the Gunner back four several times. Though Lionel Messi was contained (as much as can be expected), the remaining nine field players were given almost free reign to capitalize on other attacking options.

Barcelona’s first twenty minutes’ offensive barrage rivaled the best attacking football Arsenal fans have seen in years. A constant and incisive onslaught from Barça took special advantage of the home side’s criminally neglected left wing, but also showed a propensity for challenging the Gunners directly in front of their 18-yard box.

The discipline and precision of Barcelona’s attack were matched only by the heart they demonstrated in opting for an all-out offensive strategy in such a risky away tie.

Shell-shocked after a lifeless first half, Arsenal limped into halftime hamstrung by two injury substitutions and already guaranteed of Fabregas’ absence at the Camp Nou in a less than a week. The only silver lining for Arsene Wenger’s young side seemed to be that they did not already trail by two goals or more.

Ibra’s Overdue Brace

Just twenty-three seconds into the second half, a characteristic error from Manuel Almunia turned a not overly-dangerous run from Zlatan Ibrahimovic into an embarrassing goal, and showed once again why the Spaniard is not up to the task of tending the net of a top European club. His performance was made all the more disappointing by the memory of a charmed first half in which his strong positioning enabled him to deflect efforts from five different Barcelona players during the opening twenty minutes’ salvo.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Ibracadabra appeared to secure Barcelona’s semifinal birth with a well-timed, but atrociously defended run that tore up the Arsenal trap and gave him an easy breakaway goal.

A New Hope

Only minutes passed by, however, before a rare display of complacency from Barcelona and the inspired 67th minute introduction of Theo Walcott conspired to turn the tide of the match.

Arsenal had seemed resigned to their fate and all but down for the count before the pacey youngster provided the jolt that pulled his battered side off the mat and back into the fight.

Minutes after entering the game, Walcott caught little-tested keeper Victor Valdes off-guard to cap a brilliant run that doubtless impressed England manager Fabio Capello, who was in attendance.

Usually leaden-footed Nicklas Bendtner slotted a well-timed pass to assist the streaking winger in the 69th minute, though he otherwise appeared confused, over-matched, and—for long stretches—absent.

The goal put a spark into the Arsenal attack, and the whole team began to take the match to a Barcelona side that suddenly seemed to have run out of gas.

Walcott continued to showcase his potential and exercise his fresh legs, clearly posing questions that Maxwell and Seydou Keita seemed uncomfortable in answering.

Appropriately, though, it was the captain, Fabregas, who drew and converted the 85th minute penalty that made up for his innocent, but ill-judged yellow card-tackle. Though his injury clearly hampered his ability to play, his inspirational performance will go down as one of his most memorable in an Arsenal uniform.

With minutes left and up a man after Carles Puyol’s automatic ejection, Arsenal vainly sought an improbable third goal, but clearly showed that their hearts were back in the fight.

It takes great heart to come back from two down to the best team in Europe—even if it was Barcelona’s lapsed discipline that allowed them back into the match—but was it too little, too late to pull off the upset?

The Second Leg

After being robbed of a triumphant win, Barcelona will be full of fire for the return leg.

Buoyed by a miraculous comeback, but forced to play for a win, Arsenal will look to show a more inspired effort on the road than they did at home.

The pillars of the Barcelona back line, Puyol and Gerard Pique, will be absent, but before Arsenal can take advantage of a weakened Barça defense, they will need to solve the full-field press that thoroughly frustrated them in the first leg.

The worst thing Arsenal can do is sit back and play for the counterattack, gambling that an already risk-prone Barcelona will give them even more opportunities without their two best defenders. Not only would it be antithetical to Arsenal’s footballing philosophy, but this would also allow Barcelona to dominate the midfield the way they did in the first leg.

Arsenal must attack in a manner and with a degree of ferocity that they failed to exhibit at home until Barcelona gave them an opening. The young Gunners will have to force their own opening at the Camp Nou, and they’ll have to do it without their captain and with an expanded injured list.

Arsenal’s success will depend even more upon the effort they bring than upon their personnel and strategy. Since their confidence-shaking defeat at Old Trafford in August, they have failed to compete against their strongest opponents; that is, until today's hope-restoring final twenty minutes.

Arsenal have the talent to play with anyone, but can they prove that they have the hearts of champions?

Humiliating defeat or glorious victory: all will depend upon which of their Janus faces Arsenal show up with next Tuesday.