Arsenal vs Barcelona: Outstanding Jack Wilshere Leads Gunners to Victory

Jack Wilshere said all week that in order for Arsenal to beat Barcelona, they would have to change their game.

Wilshere was in the starting lineup and who would have known the influence the young Englishmen would have against an at times conservative Barcelona squad.

The match began with Arsenal moving the ball and showing that they were going to be patient on the offensive end as well as back on defense. Theo Walcott was confident of a good performance against a much slower Maxwell, but unfortunately Theo wasn’t very influential tonight. 

Arsenal had an opportunity from the get-go with Samir Nasri sending in a cross from an indirect free kick, but Alex Song was unable to get a touch on the ball as it ended up in Victor Valdes' hands. The Gunners would strike again with a clever flick by Cesc Fabregas to Robin Van Persie, who forced Valdes to a difficult save.

Lionel Messi took some time to get into the match but in the 15th minute he was in alone on net, but his chip over Wojciech Szczesny was just wide of the post. Barcelona was slowly starting to get into the rhythm of the game and Arsenal had to make sure they continued to stay patient and not get overwhelmed. 

Theo Walcott's blistering pace through the middle helped him send a ball wide for Fabregas, whose chip cross just missed Van Persie because of a crucial touch by Eric Abidal, relieving the pressure.

Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 25th minute with Lionel Messi orchestrating a splitting pass to David Villa, who slipped the ball through Szczesny's legs to make it 0-1 on the scoresheet.

Arsenal would go into halftime trailing at home against a Barcelona squad who controlled possession and at times showed why they are considered to be the greatest team in the game today.

Arsene Wenger rallied his troops and sent them out for the second half ready to bring the crowd at the Emirates to their feet.

Arsenal was taking the game to Barcelona, who appeared content to absorb the pressure and take the Gunners out of the game with their mouthwatering passing.

Wenger brought on Andrei Arshavin for Alex Song who may have escaped being sent off in the first half after a number of tackles and already having a yellow card.

Theo Walcott would also make way in the 75th minute being replaced by the Danish international Nicklas Bendtner.

Just two minutes later Gael Clichy, who was not having a great game defensively, sent a chipped pass into the box that found the back of the net after a blistering left-footed shot from Van Persie. One could argue that Valdes was poorly beaten at his near post, but unfortunately that’s what happens when a goalkeeper tries to anticipate the cross and instead faces a shot.

The nervous Emirates crowd was now lifted as they watched their in-form Dutch striker run over to give Arsene Wenger a celebratory hug after making it 1-1.

Arsenal was now ready to make the final push and they sure did so just five minutes later. As Barcelona looked threatening in Arsenal's half of the field, Arsenal broke on the counter with Nasri looking a bit confused until he found a streaking Arshavin, who calmly curled the ball into the back post to give Arsenal the lead.

Arshavin has been far from the player he was last season, but that’s two times this month that the little Russian has helped the Gunners come back from a 0-1 deficit at the Emirates. Not too long ago he helped Arsenal to a very important 2-1 victory over Everton.

Barcelona could easily blame themselves as they appeared to have taken the foot off the gas after going up 1-0. They were playing at a slow pace and making Arsenal chase the game, and with no other choice, the Gunners chased.

Man of the Match

This award can go to no one other than Jack Wilshere. He was absolutely outstanding today in a game where it is common for an inexperienced and young player like Wilshere to fold with the pressure.

Wilshere came out ready to play and he was pulling the strings for the Gunners in the midfield. Although Cesc Fabregas may not have had an outstanding performance, Wilshere was able to help pick up his captain as Fabregas has also done many times for his teammates over the years.

One other player that also could not go unmentioned is Laurent Koscielny. He possibly may have had his best performance in an Arsenal uniform. 

Underachiever of the Match

Unfortunately, Cesc Fabregas was unable to have a top-level performance as he has accustomed the Arsenal fans. He just didn’t appear to have that motivation as he normally does. Alex Song's early yellow card also took a toll on Cesc's performance, making the young Spaniard have to track back more often in hopes of relieving pressure from Song.

Conclusion

This match, performance and result could be a very pivotal point in not only Wilshere's career but also for Arsenal. As I had mentioned all week, an Arsenal victory over the very feared Barcelona squad would be an absolutely enormous uplifting for an Arsenal team that lacks that killer instinct and that winning spirit.

The second leg at the Camp Nou will definitely be a match to remember as Arsenal takes a crucial 2-1 lead to Spain. Will this victory rattle the Blaugrana squad? Or will the fans at the Camp Nou be able to lift there team to the next round?

Arsenal will absolutely have it cut out for themselves in Spain, but it can be done and Arsenal proved tonight that they can play with the best of them.