Beautiful finish by Messi. Tough on Arsenal but theyâve hardly had the ball.
Barca score at last. Class showing near end of the half. Barca havenât played well at all mind. Just Arsenal arenât near their level so they can get away with it and probably will tonight.
45 mins Wilshere goes down holding his leg, Barca players try to pull him up. Thereâs a deeply unconvincing face-off and chest-bumping melee between footballâs two least hard teams.
Well taken goal from Messi.
Barcelona dominated that from start to finish bar that little spell before half time when Arsenal at least had the ball at the right end of the pitch. Arsenalâs midfield has been completely outplayed so far. Wilshere has done ok with a few touches but has taken on too much and given it away a few times. Fabregas hasnât been in it enough either and Diaby has been really poor I think. Wide players havenât exactly brought composure either.
Barca are still vulnerable due to the makeshift defence. Theyâve no real aerial ability (which was why the corner that didnât beat Xavi at the near post was a disgrace) and will be a bit uncertain in defensive alignment with 3 of the 4 defenders in unfamiliar roles.
Hardly expect Barca to sit back anyway, theyâll keep pushing to try and take the sucker punch out of the equation and will surely be conscious of being vulnerable to Arsenal pressing late in games before.
Just watching the gaol again there and Fabregas not only gives it away but has an opportunity to stop Iniesta and ignores it.
Keown the idiot saying Almunia went to ground too early there, despite Messi pulling off a tremendous flick to take it over him.
agreed on all that.
That very rigid 5-3-2 that arsenal were playing had to be exposed at some stage.
i think the 3 three arsenal center halves have defended manfully but the 2 FBs simply needed to get forward a bit more when the emerged with the ball and support the midfielders going forward, they had no width about them at all and absolutely no pace up front,
i think we must get Walcott and Arshavin on here, i think Wilshore is been a bit exposed also, looks a bit lostâŚ
where is Rosicky also??
Sickening first half. The got one of those jammy goals where the low cross evades everyone running across the keeperâs eye line and dribbles into the far corner. It came on the back of an excellent Roma start too. Borriello looked particularly hungry and was ragdolling the centre backs but then he missed a penalty. Howard Webb made an intervention then, needlessly sending off Mexes. It was a run of the mill foul yet he was only dying to flash the cards. Bald cunt.
Are Arsenal playing 3 centre backs? Whoâs the third based on that starting XI?
Theyâre not. Iâm not sure who Mickee is referring to but Diaby has been playing slightly in front of Wilshere and Fabregas in midfield with Nasri and Rosicky wide and Van Persie central.
no need for that mate,
there is a sneaky Murph from OTB type smarmy sarcasm coming out in many of your posts lately RockoâŚ
i used to respect you before as a poster but these jibes are most unbecoming of one in your position
Apparently thereâs never been a clean sheet in an Arsenal Barca match.
on paper they are not but they are lined up 5-3-2 on the pitch,
edit
gone more orthodox 4 4 2 now at start of second half
Apologies mate. Just got carried away with myself the last while. Iâll keep a lid on it.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!
Fucking hell! Superb stuff from Nasri to win the corner, great strength to hold Mascherano. Game on now.
Oh helloâŚ
Christ that was soft. Wasnât that dangerous a cross that Busquets was under that much pressure. Barca nearly responded straight away.
Almunia just fell over there :lol:
Is that Mark Lawrenson co-commentating?
What a fucking retard.
Ah ffs! Thatâs ridiculous.