15.12.2008 13:08
Arsenal: a young team that plays well
Jordi Clos
Arsenal, who are one of Barça’s potential rivals in the Champions League, are staying true to Arsène Wenger’s philosophy of football. However, the side skippered by Cesc Fabregas are having an up-and-down season, especially in the Premier League.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Olympique Lyon are the four rivals Barça could get in next
Friday’s draw for the last 16 of the Champions League. In the run-up to that draw, each day
www.fcbarcelona.cat will be looking at one of these teams. The first is Arsenal, the side managed
by Arsène Wenger and skippered by Cesc Fàbregas and which reached the final in Paris in 2006 with
Henry and Hleb in their line-up. They would be a tough nut to crack.
Wenger’s team
Arsène Wenger has now been in charge at Arsenal for twelve seasons and is the most successful
manager in the club’s history. In that time he has given free reign to good football and a
commitment to fresh talent. Indeed, he has recently made the 21-year-old Cesc Fàbregas, the
ex-Barça player who has become a symbol of the passing game the Londoners play, into club captain.
The Gunners play their home matches at the ultra-modern Emirates Stadium.
Pipped by Porto
Surprisingly Arsenal are in the pot for teams who came second
in the group stages. They had a good chance of finishing top with just one match to go, but a 2-0
defeat away at Porto meant the Portuguese headed the group. However, they still have the third best
goal difference (+6) behind Barça (+10) and Bayern Munich (+8). Their main threat in attack is
Adebayor and Van Persie, who have found the net three times and twice respectively.
Arsenal are also having a less than excellent time of it in the Premier League. After drawing
away at Middlesbrough, the Londoners have won nine, drawn three and lost five and are in fifth
place eight points behind leaders Liverpool.
Ex-Gunners Henry and Hleb
A Barça-Arsenal clash would be very special for Thierry Henry and Aleksander Hleb. The French
striker was the Gunners’ top player between 1999 and 2007, while the Byelorussian was there
from 2005 to the summer of 2008. “It would be a very special tie,” says Hleb.
“They are a good team who are hard to play against.”
Arsenal would be the favoured opponents for Touré Yaya and Bojan Krkic. The midfielder would
like to play against his brother Kolo, while the striker is anxious to experience the atmosphere at
the Emirates.