Fantasy Battle - The sequel' is here. The first match did live up to its billing, though it was Barca who showed all the cavalier football. But, we had an inspired GK and a new found self belief to thank, for getting us a draw from the jaws of defeat. We now enter the lion's den to do the unthinkable - put Barca out of UCL at Camp Nou.
Car insurance, motor insurance, lawyer, financial help, student loan, mortgage
Though we had previously successfully executed the Italian job to dump the then defending champions Milan at San Siro, the current task at hand is much much more difficult. We go to Camp Nou with the first choice spine of the team missing - Gallas, Cesc and RVP. And whats more, we face the best team in the world at their home.
But we can take heart from the fact that though Barca created all the chances in the world, both their goals were down to individual errors. We need to cut those out, if we want to have any hopes of progressing. And oh yes, we need 'more of the same' performance from Almunia and the rest of the team, except Diaby. He needs to play his A game to contain the Barca attacks and also build attacks of our own.
Without Cesc and Arshavin, we are severely deprived in the attack. Gallas' absence makes defense vulnerable and shifting Song there, makes the MF vulnerable. Injuries have taken the toll on our players like never before. But this game is about each individual putting double the effort and making sure that no player is missed.
Nasri will play the play maker. What more, he can provide the defensive cover to Denilson as well. I would prefer Rosicky to be the third midfielder and he too has been tracking back wonderfully off late. Up front would like to see Dudu playing along with Bendtner. With the first choice CB pairing for Barca missing, I think Bendtner would get much more joy and having Dudu feeding off him could be a good ploy to employ.
I would like to see Diaby given a free role, running from box-to-box. He has been rested over the weekend and I expect him to be fresh and mobile, come Tuesday. He should be the one who should be closing down Barca in their own half and be additional defensive cover when needed. He needs to play the Flamini role at Camp Nou.
This guy possesses a very rare mixture of attributes - quick feet, pace, physicality and dribbling ability. With all due respect to Flamini, he was a primarily, a hard worker. But employing Diaby in that role gives us a chance to convert defense to attack instantly. Diaby winning the ball high up the pitch allows him to run at the defense and considering his pace and dribbling skills, that could prove to be a very important aspect for us.
The back four of Sagna-Song-Vermaelen-Clichy looks reliable. Vermaelen and Song need to be on the same wavelength. With Song in the back line, we need to play the offside trap more cleverly. Vermaelen needs to show his defensive organisational skills to manage Song.
Our last line of defence, Almunia, was nothing short of epic in the first leg, in spite of his obvious mistake resulting in the first goal. He needs to try and sort out the decision making part and continue showing off his shot stopping skills.
This is it guys, our crack at destiny is here. In spite of all the adversities faced and criticism and humiliation inflicted upon us by media and opponents alike, we have continued to fight on. This breed of Gunners have shown that they will fight till the very end. They have made us proud with their sheer determination, hard work, commitment and never-say-die attitude.
AW would never have thought that the team would respond like they did when he shouted 'You are not fit to wear an Arsenal shirt' at them. Almost every team member has contributed at one point or the other in our bid for CL and PL glory. The bench's celebrations when we scored the winner against Wolves has shown how much winning means to them. They really are giving it their all for Arsenal Football Club!
Now its our time to get behind the team, for they need all the support they can get. So what if we are down to bare bones, we want it more than the other teams. This team will fight till the very death, as shown by Cesc by playing on with a fractured fibula. This team has already made most of the Gooners proud and they are not finished yet.
Come Tuesday night, the whole Gooner fraternity will be behind you. So lets just go for it and beat them in their own backyard. Lets send out a message that this team has arrived and is here to stay. Lets just write off the opinion that we are not mentally strong. Lets just prove to the world that we indeed are worthy contenders for being the champions both domestically and in Europe. Lets just show the world 'What we are, Who we are and Who we Represent'! Just do it, Gunners!
Previous Arsenal Result (CL)
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Arsenal 2 - 2 Barcelona (H)
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Previous Barcelona Result (CL)
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Arsenal 2 - 2 Barcelona (A)
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Arsenal Player to Watch:
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Abou Diaby. He could be the one, on whose performance, the tie could be decided. But the entire team as such, should perform collectively.
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Barcelona Player to Watch:
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Too many good players, but frankly, lets just deal with bloody everyone.
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Venue:
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Camp Nou
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Capacity:
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98,772 (Approx)
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Kick Off:
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Tuesday, 6th April - 19:45 BST
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