EPL Clash of Titans: Could the Invincibles Defeat Guardiola's Barcelona of 2011?

Arsenal's invincibles of 2004 were a magnificent side, as is demonstrated by their record of going a league season unbeaten. This was manager Arsene Wenger's finest achievement, and one that stunned football fans and experts alike. With the creative inspiration of Dennis Bergkamp, the finishing of Henry and rock solid defending from Sol Campbell, the Invincibles assumed their place in the list of the all-time greats.

Guardiola's Barcelona is acclaimed as the greatest footballing side of all time. With a possession game inculcated at academy level, supremely gifted players such as Xavi and Iniesta are able to run the show fro Barcelona. This has paved way for Spanish dominance at international level, with Spain winning the World Cup, the European Championship and the UEFA Under 21- European Championship.

Let us now compare these two great footballing sides.

Starting XI

 Arsenal in 2004 played a 4-4-2 formation.

GK:Jens Lehmann

LB:Ashley Cole

CB:Sol Campbell

CB: Kolo Toure

RB:Lauren Etame Mayer

CM:Gilberto Silva

CM: Patrick Vieira

LM: Robert Pires

RM: Frederik Ljungberg

CF:Dennis Bergkamp

ST: Thierry Henry

Barcelona today employ a 4-3-3 formation

GK: Victor Valdes

RB:Dani Alves

CB: Carles Puyol

CB:Gerard Pique

LB: Eric Abidal

DM: Sergio Busquets

CM: Xavi

AM:Iniesta

LW: Pedro

CF: David Villa

RW: Lionel Messi

Let us now have a look at the combined XI from both teams . Owing to difference in formation, Bergkamp will function as an attacking midfielder.

GK: Jens Lehmann

No real trouble for me here. Valdes is excellent on his day, but Jens Lehmann was exceptional. His shot stopping ability and stature was second to none.

RB: Daniel Alves

Lauren was a much underrated player in his time, but for me, it is Alves. His marauding runs up the wing are integral to Barcelona's (and Messi's) success.

CB:Sol Campbell

Sorry, Puyol. Sol is the greatest player to play center-back in England for the last 20 years (except perhaps Adams).

CB: Gerard Pique

Toure was great during his tenure at Arsenal,forming part of the makeshift back four that took Arsenal to the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. However, he can offer no competition to the new Beckenbauer, as Pique is rightly christened.

LB: Ashley Cole

Cashley is perhaps England's greatest left back of all time. He would still be the only English inclusion most Dream XI's consisting of Players playing today. Consider that he is 30 now and past his peak. He was unplayable at times, on the wing with Pires and, at times, Henry. Eric Abidal is great, but is not worthy of being an all-time great.

DM: Gilberto Silva

His tackles were as pinpoint as Xavi's passing. He was known as the "Invisible Wall" for his passive style of defending as well as his selfless covering for advancing defenders or Patrick Vieira.

CM:Xavi

The Catalan playmaker is an exquisite passer with self-effacing talent. Even taking into account Vieira's quality, Xavi wins out for me.

AM: Dennis Bergkamp

 Iniesta forms part of the greatest midfield trio in world football today. He has dribbling skill and passing ability in copious amounts. Bergkamp, however, is on another plane altogether. His technique is second to none, and he would probably be a fixture on the greatest dutch international XI of all time.

LW: Robert Pires

 Pedro is a good player, but no comparison can even be made between him and Pires, a classy player with flair and exquisite touch.

CF: Thierry Henry

 Henry is one of the greatest strikers of all time. He had pace and finishing ability in abundance.

RW:Lionel Messi

 Lionel Messi is the greatest player on the planet today. He has incredible pace and skill, as well as dribbling and shooting ability. Ljungberg was on a different planet to him.

Score: Invincibles 7- Barca 4

Tactical Analysis

Zonal Marking posted a great diagram of Arsenal's Invincible tactics. It can be seen from aforementioned diagram, as well as Arsenal's matches in 2004, that Arsenal played a 4-4-2 in 2004. However, both Paddy Vieira and Gilberto dropped back to become defensive midfielders and Dennis Bergkamp dropped back to assume a role more suited to his distributive talents, making the formation a 4-2-3-1. Bergkamp was a pure second striker, but dropped back enough to  assume a role in attacking midfield. Also, when teams tended to defend deep, Henry went out wide left with Cole and Pires. 

All of the team could play the ball. Toure was an attacking midfielder and striker before Wenger converted him to a centre back. Thierry Henry was a winger/midfielder before Wenger used him as a striker. This was the case with many members of the Arsenal squad.

This Arsenal were a counter attacking side, with the pace of Henry helping them in this regard. Kolo Toure also made driving runs forward (and left the unassuming Gilberto Silva to cover him). Vieira arrived late on in the box, possessing the attributes of an all around midfielder (great technique,passing ability and tackling ability) and was a more physical foil to the demure Gilberto.

Guardiola's Barcelona is renowned for its possession game focused on utilizing the immense reserves of talent created by La Masia. In fact, this is not just a throwaway tactic changed every game, but a philosophy, preached all the way down to academy level. Perhaps this is what makes this philosophy so effective. That, and the fact that the players endorsing this philosophy are enormously talented.

Barcelona play a 4-3-3, with a three-man midfield composed of a holding player who sits in front of the back four (Sergio Busquets), a passer of the ball, in other teams used to retain possession (Michael Carrick of Manchester United, being the prime example), but in this case, used as a primary creative "filter"(Xavi), and a great dribbler of the ball, great at through balls, as good at passing as his predecessor (Iniesta).  What particularly strikes the analytical eye is the ability of all the midfielders to pass the ball as well as each other. In other teams, either of these three could have been the team's primary creative force.

The defense is composed of "Piquenbauer" Gerard Pique, who runs with the ball from defense, and is as adept at passing as those in front of him. Carles Puyol, the hard working, no-nonsense defender who is the perfect foil to Pique, the Frenchman Eric Abidal and finally, Brazilian right -back Dani Alves, who is hailed as an "Energizer Bunny," due to his tireless runs from defense, granting him 14 assists this season.

The attack is known for its fluidity, with players often switching positions. First, there is Lionel "Best Player in the World" Messi, a versatile player who can play anywhere across the forward line. He often drops back into the No. 10 role when employed as a deep lying forward, a "false 9." Then there is David Villa Sanchez, all-time top goal scorer for Spain, and, before his transfer to Barcelona, a poacher in every sense of the word. Now , however, he seems to have understood the Barcelona philosophy and is happy to play and inside forward role, switching positions with Messi and Pedro, the Barcelona left winger.

Both these teams:

(1) Pressed High up the pitch. Their first defensive lines were the forwards.

(2) Had defenders/ defensive midfielders who could play the ball. 

Key Battles

Paddy Vieira and Gilberto Silva vs. Xavi and Iniesta

If this pair can't stop Xavi and Iniesta, no one can. If they stifle Xavi and iniesta, Messi will have less of the ball, and so will Barca's potent forward line. 

Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry vs. Busquets, Pique and Puyol

Dennis, with his near godly level of skill should run rings around Sergio Busquets. Henry might find it difficult against Pique and Puyol, being a lone striker, but he is the best equipped for this task.

The Curious Case of Dani Alves

Alves's forward runs are notorious for the space they leave. Most of the time, no team is able to do anything about it. If Arsenal do get an opportunity to exploit this space, their potent left flank of Cole, Pires and Henry(at times) will do some serious damage.

Prediction

I would give it to the Invincibles, due to the better overall quality of their first team and the superiority of their defense.