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Barcelona Have Improved But So Have Arsenal

By 2011/02/13 7 Comments

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Arsenal and Barcelona have both improved since they met last year, according to Arsčne Wenger.
 
The Frenchman will pit his wits against opposite number Pep Guardiola on Wednesday night in the first leg of a highly-anticipated Champions League tie. For Wenger it’s a chance to avenge last season’s 6-3 aggregate defeat in the Quarter-Finals.
 
Barcelona are flying high in La Liga and produced perhaps the most impressive performance of the century when they brushed aside Real Madrid 5-0 in El Clasico earlier this season.
 
Wenger accepts that Barcelona are better than ever but he insists that the same applies to his own squad.

“We are different because we are in better form going into this game than we were last year and in a better shape physically,” said the manager.
 
“Going into this game last year we had some players who were not available, some who were not 100 per cent going into the game. I believe we are more mature as well. 
 
“Having said that, I concede as well that Barcelona is even stronger than last year. But I think we can give them a very interesting test.”
 
Barcelona have replaced Zlatan Ibrahimovic with David Villa since the teams last met while Yaya Toure has joined Manchester City. But Wenger believes they are collectively stronger.

“They got better as a team, that doesn’t mean they produce every week the 45 minutes they produced against us [at Emirates Stadium last season]. 
 
“I believe I don’t want to deny anything of their quality in their first 45 minutes against us. I believe as well that we were spectators of their game in the first half and that’s what we want to stop.”

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  • John in Norfolk

    Maybe Barca aren’t invincible after all, they lost their seventeen game winning run last night when they were held to a 1 – 1 draw by Sporting Gijon.

    Something on their minds perhaps?

    Just a hint of doubt creeping in?

    Arsenal can win this tie, the team is stronger than last season, Both Wilshere and van Persie are making a difference and Cesc seems to have got his head back on.

    Unfortunately I wont be watching as I’ll be somewhere over the mid west on route to Auckland at the time. I’ll be relying on a text from my son when we stop-over in Los Angeles.

    C’mon The Glorious Gunners!!

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  • kay

    This is going to be a very tough game for both sides. The present squad cannot be compared to last year’s squad. We did not play van persie ,wilshere arshavin nasri. This time i expect wenger to use walcott down the flanks and i am sure this move will open up barca at the back. Barca are not invincible as shown by Gijon this weekend.

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  • crispy

    True both teams have improved, but there’s a couple of vital points…. Where barcelona play in a leauge which in my opinion only has a few good sides, & are expected to win 90% of there games comfortably, Arsenal play in the most competetive leauge in the world where every team is capable of beating each other, there for more demanding on the players over the course of the season…
    Secondly we have our key players available & all playing well, yes it will be a tough game. The only question remaining is !!!! R U ready Barcelona, coz we wanture blood hehehehe

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  • nicky

    Has anyone got the latest on the injury to Barca’s mouthy captain Puyol? Out for the past 3 weeks and allegedly not yet fit (except for his mouth).

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  • Arsenal3

    You still have time to change your flight…

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  • Rob

    Don’t forget, Walcott was the one player that truly scared Barca last year. Finally, a chance to shut everyone up and play those catalan cunts with a fit squad.

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  • Bigsy

    What an absolute load of twaddle , It is nice to see some loyalty but Crispy what planet are you on ?
    Comparing leagues ? OK FAIR COMMENT !
    Now take away the leagues and put them to one side and explain to me how you ignore the fact they have 6/7 players who won the World Cup for Spain therefore eliminating any nonsense about countries and leagues ..they have 6/7 men who proved they are better than anyone else in world football !!

    Nice attempt to rally the troops but we all know you are going to get fucking spanked !…by at least 6 over 2 legs ..these are the very best players on the planet and Cesc does not even shift them at international level ..who from Arsenal would make their team ? their starting 11 hand on heart ..noone shifts iniesta, xavi , Messi, Puyol, Villa , alves, bisquet, Piquet , clearly the keepers are always debatable in spain but Valdes is better than you’re current crop..and maybe just maybe RVP could make a slight sub appearance as bojan does from time to time …
    SPANKING AND NO PLACE TO HIDE ..

    1-2 AT THE EMIRATES
    6-1 CAMP NOU

    feel for you as it is an impossible task but if anyone can put up a good show it is you boys , all the rest of us would concede 10 ..

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