Arsenal vs. Barcelona: Inevitable Result and Why It Fails to Impact the League

Arsenal went to the Nou Camp with few expecting a positive result.  

In the end a 3-1 victory for Barcelona was enough to see them through to the quarterfinals, thus confirming most people's expectations.  The question is, can Arsenal and it's fans feel aggrieved at this?

The answer clearly, though convoluted, is no.

Over the 90 minutes of the second leg of their tie at the Nou Camp, Arsenal were forced to play a game they are seldom used to playing.  At 68 percent possession, Barcelona were in command of this tie from the opening whistle.  

It would be naive to think that Wenger didn't expect this exact circumstance and for 45 minutes he crafted a performance that few would have given Arsenal credit for. While Barcelona dominated possession for the entire first half, they still struggled to break down the Arsenal back line.  

The referee Busacca was comfortable brandishing cards to the Arsenal team throughout this 45-minute onslaught, and in most cases, rightfully so.  

That half of the Arsenal back line had yellow cards in the first half was testament to the nature of this game.  Many Arsenal fans will complain that Barcelona and, in particular, Dani Alves escaped unpunished for challenges comparable to those from the away team; however, this is perhaps not surprising given the atmosphere that the Nou Camp presents.

Van Persie's dismissal in the 56th was a game-changer, for sure.  However, to be fair to this Barcelona team, it was really only a game-changer to the away side.  To say that Barcelona dominated this tie is to simply state the truth.  

With that said, however, to play 10 against 11 for almost a third of the match, especially when that 11 is universally accepted as the greatest team in the world, the depleted team has just cause to feel aggrieved.

Once again, the question that results is whether Arsenal can bounce back from yet another high profile loss.  What needs to be understood is that this result has little bearing on the league and FA Cup.  

Arsene Wenger and indeed most of the media understand that Arsenal's best chance this year rests with the Premier League.  Few predicted they would compete with Barcelona over two legs and perhaps even less gave them a fighting chance going in to the second leg.

In this upside-down year in the Premier League, Arsenal find themselves in a good position to compete for the title.  This would be a substantial achievement in a year that has seen, without exception, a closure in quality between the 20 league teams.  That the team can focus its endeavors on this goal is perhaps the blessing that the defeat to Barcelona allows.

In conclusion, Arsenal can feel aggrieved in the result of being unable to play their own game, rather than the result of the game itself.