Arsenal vs. Barcelona: 5 Things To Expect From This Epic Clash
On Wednesday, Barcelona take on Arsenal at the Emirates in what promises to be a hugely entertaining and exciting contest.
Last season the two sides met in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona won the tie 6-3 on aggregate after drawing the first match at the Emirates 2-2 and then winning the second one 4-1, thanks to Lionel Messi masterclass.
Last season it was a fairly one-sided contest, with Barcelona dominating proceedings for much of the match.
This season, however, looks set to be an extremely close and evenly fought fixture.
Both teams come into the match having been in great form. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League matches and Barcelona’s brilliant 18-match winning streak only recently came to an end.
Both teams play a style of football that is a joy to watch and this match looks set to be an epic clash, especially for the neutrals.
Here is a look at five things that may happen when the two titans meet.
Emmanuel Eboue Will Struggle Defensively
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As the final group stage match between Arsenal and Partizan Belgrade drew to a close, Bacary Sagna got sent off for a last-man challenge, which means he will miss the clash against Barcelona.
In his place Emmanuel Eboue will start, as Arsenal have no other player capable of filling in that position. Eboue is a talented individual and is an extremely lively presence when on the pitch and is immensely popular among the players.
Eboue is extremely good when going forward. His marauding runs cause havoc in the opposition half and he has the ability to get past several players and put in good balls into the box.
But against Barcelona, his defensive credentials will be examined. Barcelona will dominate possession and will create flurry of chances.
Eboue has struggled with players with good movement. Despite his attacking capabilities, his defensive capabilities have always been a bit suspect. He has found it difficult to handle world-class opposition.
With Barcelona, he's all set to have another tough time containing the likes of Pedro, Villa.
David Villa has been in scintillating form both scoring as well as creating goals. Eboue will struggle to keep Villa quiet.
But expect him to have a good game going forward, supporting Theo Walcott down the right.
Jack Wilshere Will Fail to Stamp His Authority in the Midfield Battle
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Jack Wilshere has had a great season so far. He has become a first-team regular for the Gunners and has put in some exceptional performances this season, especially against Wolverhampton Wanderers this Saturday.
Even when he has played the big matches, he has not looked overawed and has looked at ease. But the fact remains that he is just starting his career and does not have the ability to influence a game all by himself.
At times he struggles to dictate terms in the midfield, which has been evident in the clashes against Manchester United and Chelsea.
Barcelona has one of the best midfields in the world and their midfield will feature the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. They will give Arsenal’s midfield the time and space to operate and will close them down quickly.
The three of them are easily some of the best midfielders in the world, and Wilshere will struggle to dictate the midfield against the trio.
Theo Walcott Will Have a Great Game
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Last season Arsenal were losing 2-0 to Barcelona. But they went on to draw the match 2-2 and showed great heart and passion. But what made the difference?
The introduction of Theo Walcott.
The much-maligned winger showed his potential and caused mayhem in the Barcelona defense with his pace and direct running.
This season Walcott has shown real skill and is on fire right now. He has combined superbly with van Persie and the duo have been tormenting defenses.
Barcelona are missing centre back Carlos Puyol, which means that Eric Abidal will play in defense along with Pique.
So Maxwell will start at left back. Maxwell’s performances have been a shade disappointing and Walcott in this form can be deadly.
Walcott will be looking to run Maxwell ragged with his searing pace that destroyed Barcelona’s defense last season.
Expect his pace to cause a lot of problems for Barcelona’s defense this season.
Van Persie Will Prove that He Is One of the Best in the World
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Van Persie has been on fire in the past couple of months. He has scored 10 goals in just seven Premier League matches and is looking extremely lethal.
There is no doubt that van Persie is an extremely talented player. After seeing his performances, there is no denying that he has what it takes to be one of the best.
But right now that is not the case. His constant injuries have meant that he has found it difficult to prove his worth and has never really fulfilled his potential.
But this season, he has looked superb after returning from injuries, has been playing beautifully and is on fire.
An in from van Persie is all set to start against Barcelona.
He is in the form of his life and in form van Persie is unplayable at times. He has shown time and time again that he is a big-match performer.
On Wednesday I expect him to have a great game and his movement will torment the Barcelona back four, especially since Puyol will mostly not play.
Pedro Rodriguez Will Put in Another Great Performance
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If Pedro played for any other club, he would be proclaimed as one of the world’s best and would be talked about greatly. But he happens to play for Barcelona, so he continues to remain in the shadows of Messi, Villa, Xavi and Iniesta.
But that doesn’t mean he has gone totally unnoticed. Real Barcelona fans have come to understand his value.
Ever since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, Pedro has been an integral part of the Barcelona lineup and in the last two seasons he has been an absolute revelation.
This season he has already notched up 19 goals.
Against Arsenal on Wednesday, he will most probably start on the right side, which will be closely monitored by Gael Clichy.
Although he is an exceptionally talented player, he has struggled lately—especially in the big matches—and tends to make costly mistakes.
Against Barcelona I predict Clichy to have a tough game. Pedro will put up another brilliant performance and show the world just how good he really is.
Arsenal's Defense Will Continue to Thrive
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Arsenal’s defense with Djourou has been so exceptional this year that sometimes I find it difficult to believe that it is actually them.
The team has kept fivw clean sheets this year and has conceded just one goal this year from 600 minutes, which, too, was offside.
Arsenal skeptics continue to claim that Arsenal’s defense is still shaky, but their claims are baseless.
Arsenal have looked calm, composed and assured at the back, especially when Djourou and Koscielny team up. The two of them are forming a great partnership and have looked calm and composed at the back.
Both of them are tall when compared to Barcelona’s players and they will definitely win most of the aerial battles. Laurent Koscielny has gone from strength to strength lately and his aerial ability and anticipation can help to neutralize Barcelona’s threat. He is extremely fast as well, which will work to his advantage.
The two of them conceded just one goal against Chelsea and kept a clean sheet against Manchester City.
Over the past few weeks, despite their great performance, Arsenal critics still continue to criticize Arsenal’s defense. But expect them to keep quiet after Wednesday.
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