Arsenal Produce Some Promising Signs in Barcelona Defeat

Once again, Arsenal have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League just as the knockout stage has begun.

It’s depressing without being surprising—after the home defeat in the first leg, progression always looked unlikely. However, amid the gloom, there were some encouraging signs there for the Gunners. Despite the 3-1 defeat to Barcelona, this was in some ways Arsenal’s most positive performance in weeks. 

When Arsene Wenger named his team for the Camp Nou, there were a couple of huge surprises. Francis Coquelin was dropped to the substitutes' bench for Mathieu Flamini, while the likes of Joel Campbell and Theo Walcott were also kept in reserve, with 19-year-old Alex Iwobi being handed his first Champions League start. 

Whether Wenger intended to rest some weary legs or was genuinely making strategic decisions, the reshuffle worked well. Iwobi was one of the surprise stars of the night, showing incredible maturity on such a grand stage.

His cameos thus far this season have showcased a player with an immaculate first touch, good movement and intelligent and crisp passing. However, it’s a very different thing playing in front of a home crowd in a domestic cup and travelling to the intimidating arena of the Camp Nou to face the world’s best.

Nevertheless, not only did Iwobi cope under the pressure, but he actively seemed to thrive on it.

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Speaking to Arsenal's official website after the game, he said:

"

I didn't know how to feel, I was buzzing, I just wanted to go and prove to the world what I would do. I wanted to see if I could match up to the best in the world. I was buzzing when I saw the starting line up, I couldn't wait to touch the pitch. 

I never thought I would get this far. Honestly I thought I was going to go on loan at the start of the season, but the manager has shown faith in me and I'm trying to repay that faith and prove him right every time I play. 

"

Iwobi certainly didn’t let his manager down. He was part of a front four that looked more fluid than any other for a while.

The Gunners are a better side when Danny Welbeck plays in attack. Theo Walcott might be marginally quicker, and Olivier Giroud might be more effective in the air, but Welbeck’s all-round game is the best in the Arsenal squad. 

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His speed and power were a constant menace to the Barcelona defence, and he was unlucky not to score when a left-footed shot cannoned off the crossbar.

On a couple of other occasions, he might have been more ruthless, but Welbeck’s general contribution makes it worth persisting with him in spite of a couple of missed chances. He brings a dynamism to Arsenal’s attack that has been badly lacking at points this season.

As well as Iwobi and Welbeck, the front four also comprised Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Their quality speaks for itself, even if they did not particularly shine against Barcelona.

It was intriguing to see Alexis switched out to the right wing, especially as he has recently begun to struggle on the left. All too often he looks to cut infield from that flank, making him predictable for a defending full-back. Pushing him to the right forced him to introduce some variety into his game.

Although his decision-making was still questionable at points, this was a more encouraging display from the Chilean. 

Both Iwobi and Welbeck were withdrawn after around 70 minutes. It was a move that raised some eyebrows, with the Gunners still chasing the game. However, perhaps Wenger had one eye on the crucial Premier League clash with Everton on Saturday lunchtime. This attacking quartet certainly deserves another opportunity to impress. 

They weren’t the only players on show who allowed Arsenal fans to come away from the game with some optimism. Their goalscorer on the night, Mohamed Elneny, also turned in an impressive display.

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Since coming into the side for March 5's north London derby at White Hart Lane, Elneny has been a steadying presence at the heart of the Arsenal midfield.

He’s an unfussy player, but that’s exactly what they’ve required. He doesn’t have the explosiveness of Aaron Ramsey or the technical brilliance of Santi Cazorla, but he does have huge reserves of energy and an impressive degree of composure on the ball. 

His goal was, in some respects, typical of his recent performances. It was a lung-busting run to the edge of the box, followed up by an assured side-footed finish high into the roof of the net.

After the match, Elneny told the media he was satisfied with his performance, if not the result, saying: “We know it's a big stadium and a great stadium too but I'm happy with my performance today, but not that happy about the result. I knew it'd be hard, but there is no 'hard' in football."

One thing’s for sure: It will be hard to displace Elneny from Arsenal’s team. He’s brought some much-needed balance to a side that looked in chaos for much of the winter. 

This was by no means a perfect performance—Arsenal made glaring errors at both ends of the pitch, missing chances to score as well as gifting goals to a Barcelona side that need little help scoring. The gap between the two sides was illustrated by their varying degrees of efficiency in both penalty boxes. 

However, there was enough in this display to give Arsenal some hope they could yet rally to finish their season on a relative high.

Realistically, the Premier League may be beyond the Gunners, but they can’t afford to take it easy on the domestic front. In their current form, their top-four status has to be considered to be in real jeopardy. They need to find a way to start picking up points—beginning at Goodison Park on Saturday.

They may have found a template to help them do that. The Camp Nou could have been a nightmare. Instead, it may have provided a glimpse of a way forward for Wenger.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.