CATALAN GIANTS DEFEATED THE GUNNERS

It was another difficult Champions League night for the Gunners who came up against the unstoppable Messi-Neymar-Suarez treble act
The Gunners faced the Spanish champions this evening in the toughest possible last 16 contest.

Barcelona came to town as the reigning European champs and anointed as the best team in the land blessed with perhaps the greatest front line in the history of the game.

And Lionel Messi showed his class once again, scoring twice in a 2-0 win for the Catalan giants.When assessing their side’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Barcelona there are many things Arsenal fans could focus on.

Barcelona’s general brilliance. The incredible way in which Luis Enrique’s side are able to craft a victory however they like. Lionel Messi reaching new levels of Lionel Messi magic.

But sod all that. Thanks to Mathieu Flamini, there is something far more obvious for Gooners everywhere to focus on.
Wenger speaks:“Barcelona is a great team. We put a lot of energy in the game and technically we were very average.

“The regret I had was once we looked like we dominate the game, we give the goal away. Similar to Monaco last season, naive, and that is frustrating. When we looked like we could win the game, we just gave it away.

“Realistically it is very,very difficult, if not impossible. We have to go there and fight. We had the chances, we didn’t score.

“We knew we could not afford to give them counter attacks and that is exactly what we did. It is too easy to blame, you have to respect the effort. They always can kill you when you think you are on top.

“In their transition they never make a bad pass. They are better than us, there is no shame, they are European champions and that is no coincidence.”
Barcelona goal hero says he and his team-mates knew Arsenal would fade at some stage.

“It was a great performance from us, we got a good result against a very good team with really good players,” the Argentine told UEFA’s website.

“The first half was very tough, they were strong but in the second half we knew they were not going to be able to keep up the pressure.

“It’s a great result away from home and a very important result, but the second leg is still to come.”