Ok are they any of you reading this that are really confident about victory tonight? If yes, please stop sniffing that substance, cos it is illegal. On the other hand however if we can stop the great Lionel Messi tonight then the chances of beating Barcelona will be increased. The good thing about playing this game, is that Barcelona will know that they can be beaten by Arsenal, and despite being overwhelming favourites, if we can sow the seeds of doubt, then the claret and blue striped warriors will appear less invulnerable.
What of the tactics to be employed by Arsenal? There of course needs to be a siege mentality with the added thrust of potent counter attacking. I happen to think that the best form of defence will actually be attack in this case, because for every goal that Barcelona concede they will have to exceed our goals by a margin of two due to the effect of the away goals rule.
The AWAY GOALS RULE
“Competition rules may provide that where teams play each other home and away, if the scores are equal after the second match, any goals scored at the ground of the opposing team will count double”
So the scenarios mean that Arsenal only need a draw to win by the odd goal on aggregate, of course and any win will also see Arsenal progressing through to the next round. However if they are able to convert their chances then the pressure will build on Barcelona quite dramatically.
1st Leg 2:1 = 1 goal advantage in the event of a draw in the 2nd Leg.
2nd Leg scores needed tonight by Barcelona in the event of away goals by Arsenal
1 goal then Barca will need to win 3:1 agg = 4:3
2 goals then Barca will need to win 4:2 agg = 5:4
3 goals then Barca will need to win 5:3 agg = 6:5
We all know that we are likely to concede at least one goal, maybe two, but conceding more will really mean that we have not played as well as we can. Yes, Song’s absence is significant but the hope that Robin van Persie will be able to take the field will offset that concern. Because it is scoring that will be more important tonight. The absence of two key central defenders Puyol and Pique for Barcelona makes the tie more evenly balanced.
So can we do it? Of course we can if we ride our luck and convert every chance. But there is one thing that we could do to really heap the pressure on Barcelona, and that is if we can score early on in the tie, then the game will be blown wide open, thus allowing the skills of Fabregas to be more decisive. There that was easy wasn’t it? Actually tonight our secret weapon will be Samir Nasri, he will be the player that can combine with Fabs and Robin and can score from unlikely positions. Happily many people seem to have forgotten how important Samir is to our success. Whilst people are talking about Niklas Bendtner being our match winner if he plays, I can see goals from corners scored by Johan Djourou and opportunistic goals from Samir Nasri
If we are to stop Barcelona it will be important to try and prevent Messi cutting inside, and on the wide open spaces of the Camp Nou pitch, our defensive line must be compact enough to deal with the central “give and go” patterns that Barcelona use so effectively to breach defensive formations. The timing of their runs are exquisite and it is important to try and stem the supply from Xavi. The only possible unsavoury aspect of tonight could be the gamemanship employed by the Barcelona team. It seems to be an established Basque tactic, because I seem to recall the players going down very easily in Paris 2006. It frankly baffles me why a team so great as Barcelona would resort to cheating, but if they are under pressure, then getting free kicks on the edge of the 18 yard box will give them better chances of scoring. Watch out for the imaginary card waving as well.
So what is your prediction? Many Tottenham fans are wanting Barcelona to humiliate us, others feel that with Barcelona out of the competition, then their chances will improve. Manchester United fans want us to win so that they do not suffer a backlash at the weekend for the FA Cup. After the Carling Cup defeat and the frustration playing Sunderland, the club now face a week that could allow us to regain our confidence, and I believe that Arsene Wenger can steer our team to a memorable victory. The media have written us off and so have the bookies, so there is all to play for…lol! My prediction? Arsenal to draw 2:2 and win the tie 4-3 on aggregate!
My proposed Team?
Szcznesy, Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Diaby, Wilshere, Fabregas,Arshavin, Nasri, van Persie.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
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