Arsenal are on the brink of a sixth successive last-16 exit in the Champions League following a 2-0 first-leg defeat to Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
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“I think it’s been a hard (season) for Man United but in big games like this, we know that they’re going to turn up, because everyone loves these kind of matches”, Coquelin told the club’s website.
Arsenal remain two points off leaders Leicester in the Premier League, while United have won just six of their last 19 games in all competitions. We have to concentrate on the Premier League now.
It was star striker Lionel Messi who scored two late goals to help Barcelona sank Arsene Wenger’s side 2-0.
While Wenger does not believe refereeing decisions played a part in Arsenal’s defeat, he did pick out a trend in Barcelona’s reactions to going down, per Rik Sharma of Sport: “When they go down they shout”.
The likes of MSN, the Fernando Torres who was at Liverpool; the Wayne Rooney of three or so seasons ago, or the Harry Kane of last season.
The five-time world player of the year decided a game that Barcelona had dominated, even without taking all the chances that came the way of its prolific forward line.
“I felt in the final third at the moment we are missing something”.
“But we have to go there and fight”.
The return leg tie is at the Camp Nou on March 16. We’ve overcome all the challenges that they’ve put in front of us.
“It is important to know how to play against a team that plays it so tight at the back because they’re also very good on the counter attack, as you could see tonight”.
“It was a great performance from us, we got a good result against a very good team with really good players”, he said.
“We had an unbelievable chance in the first half and the way we finished our chances is a problem today”, Wenger added.
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Arsene Wenger admits he is relishing this weekend’s “special” clash against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Super Sunday.
