FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.04.2010 18:40

Puyol: “We should always go out like that”

Jordi Clos

Puyol considers the game at the Emirates to be one of the best he has ever played in for Barça and despite lamenting that they didn’t manage to sentence the tie, he felt they got everything right.

There was a bittersweet reaction to the tremendous display at the Emirates because the 2-2 scoreline means there is still work to be done. Captain Carles Puyol spoke to the press about the match. “Analysing our game, our chances and our football, I feel we deserved more” he said. It was one of the best games I’ve ever played in.” The result was not perfect, but he reckons “we have come to the key moment of the season and if we want to win, we should always go out like that”.

Wasted opportunity

The rest of team feel likewise. “We get the feeling we let an opportunity go of almost sentencing the tie … we quickly changed our way, thinking that was the right thing to do … but it was a good result, but from the way the game went, it could have been better”. Puyol felt the Catalans totally outclassed the English. “Barça played brilliantly and we stopped Arsenal from doing their thing, otherwise we’d have seen a better Arsenal”. That was why the home side reacted as it did. “We played 70 spectacular minutes, but they have some good players that can play as well. Their goal put them back in it”.

No penalty

Carles Puyol was involved in one of the key moments when he was red carded for a supposed penalty offence on Cesc in the 84th minute. “It all happened so fast. But I never touched him. He was trying to shoot and his legs got in between mine, I don’t think that’s a penalty … If it had been the other way round I’m sure they’d have said it was a foul for kicking like that”. So Puyol sits out the return leg. “Both teams will suffer absences, but we have some very valid replacements, so we’re not worried”.

Now Athletic Club

The season is in full swing now, and the defender added “we are going do all we can to win titles. Nobody should be doubting our attitude”. Next up is a league game with Athletic Club, on Saturday, with the clásico to come a week after. On such a packed schedule, he said “this is no potential banana skin. They are a very tough team, and they’re having a great season. The league is very competitive and we can’t afford to make mistakes.” On Bilbao, he said “they have a very powerful player up front. We’ll have to put pressure down the wings to stop them from crossing to him”.