“We didn’t allow them many counter-attacks, but the one they scored from was ideal”.
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It proved to be costly as Barcelona grew as the game wore on and typically it was the combination of Barca’s triumvirate that broke the home side’s hearts with 19 minutes to go.
Messi and his dazzling forward partners in crime Luis Suarez and Neymar were restricted for much of the first half by a committed and tenacious Arsenal, who might have led when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scuffed their clearest opportunity. And 10 minutes later, Lionel Messi finished off a quick counter-attack to put the visitors ahead in the first leg of their round-of-16 meeting.
Ostensibly, the reigning European champions are overwhelming favourites to see out the tie and advance to the quarter-finals after scoring two unanswered away goals at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners need to score twice without reply to level their Champions League last-16 tie, after Barca beat them by the same scoreline on Tuesday.
“I think 1-0, it was OK, we could have a chance even if it’s still hard”.
Their keeper Petr Cech knows what is takes to win the Champions League, having done so with Chelsea, and must have winced as his team mates fail to score before he was finally beaten by Messi for the first time in his career.
The defeat to Barcelona came just days after a disappointing 0-0 FA Cup fifth-round draw at home to Hull which means Arsenal also face a tricky replay in the coming weeks. “But I don’t think we lost because of the referee”.
“We have been disciplined defensively, but we knew if we have to keep a 0-0, we keep a 0-0”, Wenger said.
Messi scored both goals to give Barca a huge advantage going into the last-16 second leg at the Nou Camp. But we couldn’t finish the work.
“They are better than us, everybody knows that, but I feel we could have won the game tonight if we had kept the discipline until the end”. Suarez played the ball to Neymar, who carried it into the box and squared it for Messi. “We will have to play really well in front of our own crowd to go through”, he said. “I felt the referee was influenced but let’s be honest, we didn’t lose the game because of the referee”.
“They are tricky”, Wenger said.
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Per Mertesacker says Sunday’s game against Manchester United is a flawless chance for Arsenal to put the loss to Barcelona behind them and show they can still compete for the Premier League title.
