Tony Leen
1 NOTHING compares to the buzz of taking down the world's best team in front of a frothing home support, but the legacy of Arsenal's 2-1 victory - the surge of self-belief it injects – could be the decisive bonus ingredient in the last third of the domestic season. The defeat of Pep Guardiola's Barca will not be particularly relevant on Saturday and Sunday afternoons when Arsenal own the ball against compliant opposition, as they frequently do. Probably not either against the likes of Leyton Orient this Sunday in the FA Cup. But it should be hugely significant on those ghastly days that Arsenal supporters are all to familiar with, days when the players look around for leadership, infuriatingly oblivious to the notion that such a quality comes from within. Like the 4-0 lead they threw away at Newcastle, or the abject display at Old Trafford in November, when a moderate Man Utd were there for the taking, chin protruding. Worse were the away Champions League defeats to Shaktar and Braga which, in case anyone forgets in ther current mayhem, put Arsenal in this awkward position of having to do down the Catalans. These kid Gunners should be grown up now.
2 AH Jack Wilshere. Little wonder even the Catalan press swooned in the press tribune as the teenager completed a 94% pass success rate. More than that, he was every bit as front-footed as his captain Cesc Fabregas, turning defence in counter-attack throughout, including the delightful move that produced Arshavin's winner. However, his most significant contribution was proving to everyone that he has progressed to more performance than promise, right down to the dressing down he gave Emanuel Eboue for a ridiculous first half throw that put Wilshere under unnecessary pressure close to his own box. His range of passing is only matched by the timing of his passing. However, in the rush to coronate Wilshere, another startling display of maturity may be forgotten. Wojciech Szczesny is still only 20 but has made such an impact in the couple of months he's been handed the No 1 jersey that Arsenal's perennial goalkeeping troubles appear to have miraculously evaporated. He made a crucial save from Pedro, another from Alves and had the presence of mind in that frantic injury time moment when Arshavin mde a mess of a headed back pass not to upend the Barca full back for a penalty.
3 IT'S a peering-through-your-fingers type of race to the bottom but which comes first? Will Arsenal's micro-analysed central defenders let them down again, or will Arsene Wenger's luck hold, getting to the season's finishing tape before they are eventually unmasked and undressed? Maybe neither. Johan Djourou has been the season's surprising linchpin and last night he found a French comrade in arms on the battlefield. Tasked with policing the twinkle-toed Barcelona attack, Laurent Koscielny thrived, his self-confidence surging to the point where he hunted Lionel Messi out to the prairies of the wing, dispossessing the Argentinian to boot. "It's amazing for defenders like myself and Laurent to play against the best and it's hard work because they make you run so much,” said Djourou. “You have to go forwards, backwards, this way and then that way and it's important that you keep your concentration." And their fitness, the manager is praying, with the error prone Sebastien Squillaci, waiting. However, Thomas Vermaelen will shortly be returning for the reserves and Wenger is making encouraging noises about the reserve team captain and centre back Ignasi Miguel, a Spaniard. If Arsenal can avoid any further catastrophic injuries in this area, they may hobble unmolested to May.
4 JUST as Arsenal show signs of ironing out their defensive creases, Barcelona are beginning to run into potential problems in the same area of the field. Without their totemic leader Carles Puyol last night, the Barca back four was exposed on four key occasions, only one of which produced a killer (Arshavin) finish. Expect Theo Walcott to have more room to work Maxwell at the Camp Nou for starters. Then pause to consider that Barca's most mobile centre back, Gerard Pique will be suspended on March 8 and you are looking at a back four of Alves-Puyol-Abidal and Maxwell, with Valdes behind them. Fot Knox it ain't. However intimidating Arsenal may find Barca's front six, they will be encouraged at the prospect of getting at the defensive quintet, one of whom (Alves) doesn't concern himself too much with the ugly side of the game.
5 ARSENE Wenger made key substitutions last night, but one he didn't make was fundamental to Arsenal's success. From the vantage point of victory, it might seem ludicrous to consider the withdrawal of Robin van Persie, but Arsenal's Dutch delight was largely ineffectual last night. The miss in the first half, when Wilshere played him through on his left side, and he ballooned high and wide, seemed to bruise that confidence which has seen him bag 12 goals in eleven games in 2011. After half time, he tired and looked detatched and demoralised chasing Barca's back four as a lone attacker. Arsenal's best chance of a breakthrough still appeared to be via the pace of Walcott, and a Bendtner for van Persie change would not have surprised. However, and perhaps with the thought of a penalty in mind, the Arsenal manager kept faith in his No 1 striker and was rewarded in spades. His first sub was also gutsy, Arhsavin for Alex Song, who tried very hard to get himself sent off after a first half booking. “It was a mixture of the yellow card [for Song] and because I wanted to go for it,” Wenger explained. “We finished with Wilshere, Fabregas, Nasri, Bendtner and Van Persie - we needed to score two goals. We took a gamble and it could have backfired and we could have lost 2-0 or 3-0 to them. It worked.”
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/6W-tK3kxoNQ/post.aspx
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