Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Defender Laurent Koscielny returns from injury as Arsenal attempt to overturn a two-goal deficit against Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
The Gunners trail 2-0 from the first leg and must score twice at the Nou Camp to have any chance of progressing.
Editor’s Note: Arsenal have certainly got it all to do if they have any chance of this season not becoming a trophyless one. 2-0 down from the first leg and a side very much under fire after a recent and untimely dip in form.
Last time out they relinquished their grip on the F.A. Cup with a home defeat to Watford. The twice successive holders bowed out in meek fashion and subsequently this meant the pressure on Arsene Wenger to step down has been ramped up even further.
They go to the Nou Camp this Evening with almost nothing to lose, no one expects them to get a result against the juggernaut which is Barcelona so can they do the unthinkable and knock the holders en route to the Quarter Finals?
On the form they are currently in you would have to say no. One win in six matches in all competitions and there form has let them down at just the wrong part of the season. After competing on 3 fronts on Valentines Day by they end of the night they could all but be competing in none.
Of course it would be remiss to rule them out of the Premier League title race completely but with the gap at 11 points now albeit with Arsenal having a game in hand on league leaders Leicester you would say the advantage is very much with the leaders due to they fact that they have the points on the board and the other teams need to chase them.
Arsenal need to chase Barcelona from the start but they know that if they do that then they will get picked up apart by Messi, Neymar and Suarez – The MSN. Luis Enrique’s side cruised to a 6-0 win over Getafe at the Weekend. Perfect preparation as they move a step closer to retaining their La Liga crown.
Arsenal did make life uncomfortable for Barcelona in the first leg but in the 20 minutes they stopped doing that then Barcelona found their extra gear and showed their true class and what makes the difference between being able to win this trophy and repeatedly going out in the Round of 16.
If Arsenal had taken one of their chances first then the landscape of the tie would have been different but as it stands they had Petr Cech to thank for at least giving them some hope. Cech alongside Aaron Ramsey will be a massive blow in terms of their absence. Although credit must go to David Ospina who has been a very good understudy
If you were a betting man you would probably stick a couple of quid on Arsenal to qualify as a throwaway bet as I can’t see that happening tonight. It may be a spirited performance but the result will be the same. Barcelona to win and comfortably advance to a very tasty looking Quarter Final lineup. Home win for me.
