Walcott Gives Gunners Fighting Chance

Arsenal v Barcelona in the quarterfinals of the Champions League – the two most free-flowing sides in current World football. Wenger, the instigator in a change of mentality, turning a defensive, solid, 1-0 team, into a mirth of attacking, young talent. Unfortunately, the old warhorse found his side up against the Champions League holders, managed by Pep Guardiola, the new “special one”.

Straight from the kick-off the Gunners set out their intent by charging straight up the pitch in a bid to start the match in the high intensity that the world demanded. However, when the cross went astray Barca were evidentially in no mood to labour, mounting the counter-attack whereupon they created two opportunities, prevented only from a Vermaelen tackle and an Almunia hand.

5 minutes in and the game had not paused for breath. The ball, having found its way to the feet of every other man in yellow on the pitch, was directed to the ever advancing Daniel Alves. The wing-back squared a ball to Ibrahimavic who scooped the ball straight over the bar from 6 yards. The ball was hurried straight back onto the park to restart the passing master class that the audience was in awe at, by Barcelona anyway.

There was only one team who looked like scoring, with Arsenal getting nowhere near the ball before it found its way to a free Lionel Messi on the edge of the box. Yet, the World’s best player faltered slightly, ballooning his shot over the goal. This didn’t deter the Spanish champions, and soon they were pressing again, ascertaining their dominance, cutting the Arsenal defence to shreds, only to be thwarted by two unbelievable saves by Almunia.

Floods of yellow invaded the Arsenal area, the Gunners defensive line in disarray. Desperate tackles, blocks, headers, men getting anything and everything in-between the ball and a bulge in the back of their net. The home side failed to get a foot on the ball and they were 20minutes in. However, even Arshavin looked up for the fight, putting in a mistimed tackle that earned him the first yellow card in a game.

Unfortunately for Arshavin, a yellow card was not the only thing he received, as it also left the magician hobbling, earning him a one way ticket off the park to be replaced by Emmanuel Eboue. This change did not restrain Barcelona skipping passed tackles, picking out passes and keeping the ball in their possession. When Arsenal did, on rare occasions, find the ball at their own feet, the players looked up to view all routes blocked by a side full of ferrets.

Half an hour in and Fabregas may as well have just watched from home. Bendtner was sat recharging his batteries, giving the striker the energy, when he did receive the ball, to dummy pass two sliding Barcelona defenders, before whipping in a cross which came to no avail.

The one way traffic looked ominous for the home side but then Cesc got on the ball further up the field. The man marked for a transfer to Arsenal’s Spanish opponents placed the ball to Nasri, who put in a cross which the Barcelona defense failed to deal with, leaving Bendtner to make his mark, on the goal-post. Although, the flag had gone up so it would not have counted, even if the striker had put the ball in the net.

Gallas was the next man to get injured in the battle. The recurrence of a calf injury forced him off on a stretcher to be eventually replaced by Denilson. Fabregas’ trip to the Nou Camp was then declared over, when a superb tackle was deemed a bookable offence, giving the Spaniard a suspension for the next match.
Arsenal legs longed for half-time which duly provided a break. Barcelona, on the other hand, will no doubt look back on a half which created so much, yet provided no ultimate result.

23 seconds into the second-half though and Pique knocked the ball forward to an on-running Ibrahimavic who calmly lobbed the stranded, previously faultless, Almunia, to give the away side an indisputably deserved 1-0 lead. Barcelona may have eased off slightly but Arsenal were no nearer to getting back into the game than they were to the actual football.

Arsenal broke from a tame Messi freekick with the ball been chipped in by Clichy to an on-coming Bendtner, who should have scored with a free header but Valdes saved. In true Barca style, 20 seconds later the ball was crossed onto the free head of Xavi, but his header was equally as poor.

58 minutes in and the game was well and truly over – so it seemed. The Arsenal defensive line stood still, Xavi chipped a ball over it, leaving Ibrahimavic to look up and pick his spot before firing the ball into the top corner for his second of the game.

Theo Walcott was brought on for Sagna in a bid to change the fortunes of his side. And it wasn’t long before the pace of the Englishman was utilised yet his cross could only find the arms of Valdes. 2 minutes later though and the Gunners played Walcott inside the full-back Maxwell again and his soft sidefoot crept under the arm of Valdes to bring the Gunners back into the tie.

For the first time in the game, Arsenal looked dangerous. Passing the ball like the whole of England knows they can, getting the ball to a rampant Walcott. Pique then got booked on the edge of the area having brought down Fabragas on the edge of the area, meaning the ex-Manchester United centre-half will miss the second leg. His free-kick was however, rubbish.

Either side of an Eboue and Diaby booking, with 14 minutes left on the clock, THE number 14 of Arsenal football sauntered onto the pitch wearing the Barcelona number 14 on his back. The return of Thierry Henry came with rapturous applause from the Arsenal fans.

And then the UNBELIEVABLE occurred. Walcott was once more the instigator, giving the Barcelona defence nightmares with his pace. The winger placed a deflected cross into the area, where it found the cool head of Bendtner, who put the ball on a plate for the Arsenal captain. However, Barcelona’s captain had something to say about that, running into Fabregas. A red card was shown to Puyol and a penalty awarded. The Arsenal captain got up and powered the ball home, injuring himself in the process.
Arsenal had used all their subs, so Fabregas hobbled on, whilst Lionel Messi was substituted for a centre-half. From looking dead and buried, Arsenal were raised to life by the speed of Theo Walcott. Surely he is a must now for South Africa.

2-2 was how the score ended, even with both sides opting for a “gunhoe” approach for that third potentially decisive goal. How Arsenal were still in the tie is still a mystery, but they are by no means certain of even a chance of making the semi-final of the Champions League, as they second leg at the Nou Camp without their captain awaits. However, hopefully the likes of Walcott and Clichy will emulate their attacking prowess, bettered only by the wing-back play by Alves and Maxwell for Barcelona. All four players demonstrated the benefits of playing with pace and width. You can only hope the second leg lives up to the hype as much as the first one did.