Arsenal 2-2 Barcelona - Lineups/StatsChampions League - Results/Draw
Arsenal mounted a late comeback to erase a two-goal deficit against a rampant Barcelona outfit who dominated the majority of the contest. Two second half goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked to have sealed the match for the visitors but late strikes from substitute Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas made it 2-2 in a game which the Gunners lost William Gallas and Andrey Arshavin to injury. Fabregas also picked up a booking and will miss the second leg in the Camp Nou.
Arsene Wenger recalled Gallas after a five week absence and started with Fabregas who passed a late fitness test. Both would have an eventful first half. Meanwhile, former Gunners favourite Thierry Henry was on the bench for Barcelona.
The holders may have been clad in their away strip but they played like the home side in a dominant first half display. For the first 20 minutes they launched wave after wave of attack at the Arsenal rearguard and but for some outstanding goalkeeping from Manuel Almunia would have gone in at least two goals up.
Straight from the kick off the visitors forced a corner kick which Almunia
responded to with a low body save from a Sergio Busquets drive inside the danger area. Moments later Ibrahimovic missed a sitter from close range although he had crept offside after a delicious cross from Dani Alves. The big Swede went on a solo run a few minutes later smashing his effort into the side netting.
Almunia's heroics kept the Gunners in the game in the 15th minute as firstly he
denied Ibrahimovic with a one handed save and then came to the rescue again to block Xavi's drive inside the six-yard box. It seemed inevitable that the
Blaugrana would take the lead with Leo Messi weaving his usual brand of magic.
Arsene Wenger was quickly on his feet and it seemed to have some effect as his side forced their first half-chance through a cross from Arshavin which was
nodded away by Carles Puyol. The Russian picked up a booking shortly afterwards and then limped off to be replaced by Emmanuel Eboue.
Samir Nasri fizzed a drive wide of Valdes' post in a dismal first half for the
Gunners which saw them also lose Gallas through injury and Fabregas pick up a booking ensuring he misses the second leg. Nicklas Bendtner did force Valdes into a fine body save and hit the post but the Danish striker had crept offside.
Incredibly it was scoreless at the break despite Barca having 69% of the
possession and forcing 15 shots to the hosts two.
Pep Guardiola's European Champions didn't have to wait long as they scored right from the kick-off. An old fashioned English long ball from Gerard Pique found Ibrahimovic who neatly clipped the ball over the advancing Almunia, who had strayed from his goal-line, to give the Catalans a deserved lead.
With the away goal in the bag Barca were content to keep the ball in the
immediate aftermath of Zlatan's intervention. However, they were almost caught out by a swift Arsenal counter-attack when Bendtner forced Valdes into a superb instinct save with a bullet header from close range from which Barca went on the attack themselves with Xavi nodding an effort from a similar range wide of the post.
Barca's orchestrator in chief was at the hub of their killer second goal as he
picked out their marksman Ibrahimovic with a fabulous through ball which beat
the offside trap leaving the number nine to take one touch and smack past
Almunia plunging the Emirates into silence. Barca's summer signing had promised the English media that he'd make them eat their words and did so in style with two quality strikes.
Having already made two substitutions Arsene Wenger went for broke bringing on Theo Walcott for Bacary Sagna. The young Englishman was immediately involved skinning Maxwell and whipping in a cross and made his impact with a quality goal seconds later as he was fed by Bendtner who slipped the ball through to Walcott who evaded Valdes to slot the ball underneath the keeper to send the home support into raptures.
Walcott's goal gave the Gunners a boost and the first time all game it was a
genuine contest. Thierry Henry was given a rapturous reception when he replaced two-goal hero Ibrahimovic for the final quarter of an hour while his former club pushed for a late equaliser.
It arrived with five minutes to go as Bendtner set up Fabregas with a neat nod down only for the Spaniard to catch Puyol's leg and go to ground inside the penalty area. The Barca captain was given his marching orders and Fabregas smashed his spot-kick home and did so with such force to he limped back to the centre half clearly in pain and was a passenger for the final few moments.
Both sides played out the remainder of an enthralling contest with ten men. Arsenal had somehow managed to claw their way back into the contest which an hour in looked as good as dead. Barca will be without the suspended Pique and Puyol for the return leg while Arsenal must cope without tonight's hero Fabregas.
Arsene Wenger recalled Gallas after a five week absence and started with Fabregas who passed a late fitness test. Both would have an eventful first half. Meanwhile, former Gunners favourite Thierry Henry was on the bench for Barcelona.
The holders may have been clad in their away strip but they played like the home side in a dominant first half display. For the first 20 minutes they launched wave after wave of attack at the Arsenal rearguard and but for some outstanding goalkeeping from Manuel Almunia would have gone in at least two goals up.
Straight from the kick off the visitors forced a corner kick which Almunia
responded to with a low body save from a Sergio Busquets drive inside the danger area. Moments later Ibrahimovic missed a sitter from close range although he had crept offside after a delicious cross from Dani Alves. The big Swede went on a solo run a few minutes later smashing his effort into the side netting.
Almunia's heroics kept the Gunners in the game in the 15th minute as firstly he
denied Ibrahimovic with a one handed save and then came to the rescue again to block Xavi's drive inside the six-yard box. It seemed inevitable that the
Blaugrana would take the lead with Leo Messi weaving his usual brand of magic.
Arsene Wenger was quickly on his feet and it seemed to have some effect as his side forced their first half-chance through a cross from Arshavin which was
nodded away by Carles Puyol. The Russian picked up a booking shortly afterwards and then limped off to be replaced by Emmanuel Eboue.
Samir Nasri fizzed a drive wide of Valdes' post in a dismal first half for the
Gunners which saw them also lose Gallas through injury and Fabregas pick up a booking ensuring he misses the second leg. Nicklas Bendtner did force Valdes into a fine body save and hit the post but the Danish striker had crept offside.
Incredibly it was scoreless at the break despite Barca having 69% of the
possession and forcing 15 shots to the hosts two.
Pep Guardiola's European Champions didn't have to wait long as they scored right from the kick-off. An old fashioned English long ball from Gerard Pique found Ibrahimovic who neatly clipped the ball over the advancing Almunia, who had strayed from his goal-line, to give the Catalans a deserved lead.
With the away goal in the bag Barca were content to keep the ball in the
immediate aftermath of Zlatan's intervention. However, they were almost caught out by a swift Arsenal counter-attack when Bendtner forced Valdes into a superb instinct save with a bullet header from close range from which Barca went on the attack themselves with Xavi nodding an effort from a similar range wide of the post.
Barca's orchestrator in chief was at the hub of their killer second goal as he
picked out their marksman Ibrahimovic with a fabulous through ball which beat
the offside trap leaving the number nine to take one touch and smack past
Almunia plunging the Emirates into silence. Barca's summer signing had promised the English media that he'd make them eat their words and did so in style with two quality strikes.
Having already made two substitutions Arsene Wenger went for broke bringing on Theo Walcott for Bacary Sagna. The young Englishman was immediately involved skinning Maxwell and whipping in a cross and made his impact with a quality goal seconds later as he was fed by Bendtner who slipped the ball through to Walcott who evaded Valdes to slot the ball underneath the keeper to send the home support into raptures.
Walcott's goal gave the Gunners a boost and the first time all game it was a
genuine contest. Thierry Henry was given a rapturous reception when he replaced two-goal hero Ibrahimovic for the final quarter of an hour while his former club pushed for a late equaliser.
It arrived with five minutes to go as Bendtner set up Fabregas with a neat nod down only for the Spaniard to catch Puyol's leg and go to ground inside the penalty area. The Barca captain was given his marching orders and Fabregas smashed his spot-kick home and did so with such force to he limped back to the centre half clearly in pain and was a passenger for the final few moments.
Both sides played out the remainder of an enthralling contest with ten men. Arsenal had somehow managed to claw their way back into the contest which an hour in looked as good as dead. Barca will be without the suspended Pique and Puyol for the return leg while Arsenal must cope without tonight's hero Fabregas.
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