Barcelona vs. Arsenal: 8 Keys To an Upset Win for Arsene Wenger's Gunners
Arsenal take a 2-1 lead to the Nou Camp Tuesday, but Barcelona are still heavy favorites to advance to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. The stage is set for a classic display of football between the team largely regarded as the world's best and one aspiring to reach that level. Last year, Lionel Messi netted four goals to send Barcelona through with relative ease, but this year it could be different. Here's what Arsenal must do to prevent history from repeating itself.
1. Exploit the Absences
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Usually, the Barcelona centrehalf pairing of Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué is stalwart. However, Piqué will miss the match due to yellow cards, and Puyol has been ruled out, unable to return from a knee injury. This leaves Pep Guardiola to choose two replacements from the pool of Éric Abidal, Milito, and Sergio Busquets, who could drop back from the midfield. With Niklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh upfront, the Gunners could pose an aerial threat. The key will be to make well-timed, unexpected runs to get free from Barça’s makeshift backline. A goal on such a play could make Arsenal’s day.
2. Don’t Play a High Line
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In London, Barça’s goal and a couple of uncharacteristic near-misses came from David Villa and Lionel Messi exploiting the space behind Arsenal’s high line. With the quality of the midfield that Barcelona has, pushing up the back four is no formula for success. They played the high line in attempt to limit the space Xavi and Co. had to operate by pressuring the ball. While they will still need to generate pressure, the Gunners have to pick their moments smartly. Wojciech Szczesny can also help out by staying alert and active, coming off his line when appropriate.
Push the Barça Attack Outside
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Barcelona simply aren’t as dangerous on crosses as they are playing through the middle, either intricately via Xavi and Iniesta or running straight at defenses with Messi. Look to see the Arsenal fullbacks, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna pinch in a bit to lend support to centrehalves Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou. Both Clichy and Sagna have the pace to recover if they are outflanked. Barcelona didn’t generate many chances on crosses in the first leg. Pushing them outside and to the byline will make them attack from somewhere that doesn’t suit their strengths.
4. Break with Intent: Keep Up the Offensive Threat
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Much of the game will be played in Arsenal’s half of the field with Barcelona in possession. When the Gunners do get the ball, they have to counterattack with numbers. Doing so will likely generate Arsenal’s best scoring chances. It should also prevent an unmanageable number of Barcelona players from coming forward. Look for Andrei Arshavin and Samir Nasri to break up the wings, with Bendtner downfield and Cesc Fabregas orchestrating with the ball on his foot. Getting Sagna and Clichy involved, as well, could be the difference. The absence of Theo Walcott for this clash is a big blow to the Gunners. Messi has spoken out about what a threat he is to Barça, and they must be breathing a collective sigh of relief. Arsenal must not be afraid to get numbers up the field if they really want to win. They’re far more likely to go through by losing the match 3-2 than they are by keeping it 0-0.
5. Retreat for Glory
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This shouldn’t need to be said. Unfortunately, certain Arsenal players tend to get a little pouty after they fail to convert in the offensive end. Andrei Arshavin is the greatest culprit. Against Barcelona, there’s no excuse for this. They need to put as much energy into getting back as they put into breaking out. This will cut down the time that Xavi and Iniesta have to pick out the perfect ball, and also limit the involvement of Dani Alvez and Maxwell on the outside.
6. Take Your Chances Shooting
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Without Robin Van Persie, the Gunners will be missing their hottest goal scorer. One of the Dutch striker’s attributes is his high confidence in shooting. Niklas Bendtner never lacks confidence, but has been inconsistent in front of goal this year. Other Arsenal players have the tendency to hesitate to drive the ball at goal, but it is essential they test Victor Valdes. His performance was a bit shaky in the opening leg, and really lashing the ball on net can only lead to good things. They are used to having more chances than their opponents, but that’s not going to happen against Barcelona. It may take some superb finishes to get the Gunners into the quarterfinals.
7. Alex Song’s Presence
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While it’s usually Arsenal’s centrehalves and keeper that draw the ire of fans when the team concedes, they’re only the last lines of defence. Alex Song needs to stamp his authority on this fixture by being a menace in the midfield. He was nearly sent off in the first match, collecting a yellow and a series of fouls in the first half, and ultimately being substituted. He’ll need to get more of the ball and work tirelessly to disrupt Barça’s diamond of Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, and Messi. His presence in the squad still remains a question, but Arsenal really don’t have anybody else who can play the role of defensive mid nearly so well. Wenger insists his priority is winning the league, but I foresee him taking a rare gamble to get Song back in the lineup.
8. Defend as a Unit
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All the talk from the Arsenal players before the first game was about pressuring the ball. Arsenal tried, but only had limited success. This was because they failed to shut down the passing lanes when somebody pressed, allowing the Catalans to find easy ways to keep possession. Barcelona players are masters at spacing the field and popping up in holes. When pressure is applied, other Arsenal players must look to jump into the passing lanes to win the ball. This is far easier said than done, but one player pressing on his own simply won’t win the ball back.
Is It Possible? Why Not?
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What do you think? Can Arsenal really revenge last year’s loss and send Barcelona home on Tuesday? A lot of things have to go right for them. But if they are able to turn in a spectacular performance and do enough key things to go through, it will go down as their greatest win in recent history.
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