It's Barcelona

Although Arsène Wenger tried to avoid it in his press conference this afternoon, preparations for tomorrow's London derby with the Hammers, have been understandably overshadowed by this morning's Champions League draw.

If you've been hiding under a rock this morning, or somehow; this just happens to be the first Arsenal article you've read since the draw was made, let me enlighten you: it's Barcelona. Oh yes.

Guardiola, Camp Nou, Lionel Messi and what is sure to be an emotional reunion with Thierry Henry. Unfinished business and a chance to avenge the 2006 Champions League Final.

This is what lies ahead of us. I'm sure that our Champions League obituaries are being written as I type, I've even had a taste of it myself in the office this morning, but this- for me- is what the Champions League should be about. Last year, on our run to the semi final; good as it was, there wasn't much to get excited about. Arsenal.com were not moved, for example, to put a message on the website saying: "Please be aware we currently have no ticket information" an hour after we were drawn against Villarreal. No disrespect intended to the Yellow Subs there.

So the ties will take place on the 31st March, that's the home leg, with the return leg in Barcelona coming on the 6th April the following week. It is a chance for Arsenal, having crashed spectacularly against Chelsea and Manchester United, to show that they can compete against the very best. I don't know about you, but I'm fervently hoping now that Fulham don't repeat last night's heroics when they go to the Lane next week. The last thing we need is a trip up the Seven Sisters Road just five days after what promises to be one of the most intense experiences of the season. The Spurs game will now take place on the 14th of April, if they make it to the FA Cup semi-final.

Of course, the excitement of the Champions League draw will count for little, if, as I'm sure most pundits, expect Barcelona eliminate us from the competition. And, with Leo Messi pulling the strings for them at present, there is, on paper at least, no reason why Arsenal should expect anything other than elimination. But then football isn't played on paper and, actually when you think about it, we have our own little geniuses too, don't we?

In Arshavin, Nasri and Rosicky (I'm glad most of you got the fact I wasn't trying to get rid of him yesterday) we have three great footballers. We also have someone you suspect who will be relishing the chance to return to his homeland and show them just how he has developed as a footballer. Yes, I'm sure Manuel Almunia will get a warm reception from the locals.

Hahaha. There have been no words from club captain Cesc yet, but he must be thrilled at this draw, though disappointed it means there will be no meeting in the Madrid final. I'm looking forward to seeing how his first return to FC Barcelona is handled by the "cules", because I'm sure that whatever happens in the first leg, Thierry Henry will get a hero's welcome.

Hopefully, a welcome so huge that it overwhelms him emotionally, much in the fashion that Patrick Vieira was evidently distracted by his reception when he played for Juventus in the last season at Highbury. For all my fears that Henry will prove to be our executioner, it must be at least as likely that Cesc will drive a stake through the hearts of the defending champions. I say that with a nod of my head to Cesc's Top Man status in north London.

I began this article by saying that Arsène was trying to avoid too much focus being placed on a game that is just under two weeks away. He is quite right to say that West Ham is more important than Barcelona because it is the next game. It is also a game, with the way the fixtures are this weekend, that will take us top, temporarily at least, if we win it.

There is no margin for error now and though the Hammers are struggling, it certainly isn't beyond them to come to our place and pull our pants down. They got a 0-0 draw at the Grove last season, were relatively comfortably beaten the season before that (a dreary New Year's Day game effectively settled after 75 seconds), were the first away team to win at the Grove before that- though how, I fear, none of us will ever understand, whilst being the last (away) team to win at Highbury in remarkably similar circumstances to that first win at the Grove. Only with added Sol Campbell meltdown.

Of course, we hope that Sol will not repeat that trick, and that Arsenal will be fully focussed from the first minute to the last, because if they are it's difficult to imagine that they will not pocket three points- hopefully it'll be a little less "stranger hugging" than last week, too. On Sol, with Gallas apparently 80% likely to miss the first leg of the Barcelona game, it seems probable that the "heavy machine" will be a mainstay of the defence as long as his body can hold up, with a return to the Lane looming.

It really is a remarkable turnaround for someone who was widely assumed to have lost the plot four years ago and I doff my cap to the man. And to Arsène Wenger for realising that Sol still had something to offer this football club. Let's hope that realisation holds us in good stead as the run in begins / continues. Does anyone know when the run in officially starts?

User Comments

User Comments

• Got something to say?
• Read comments

Vs chelsea