Make it stop! Pic via Guardian.
Lionel Messi 4: 21, 37, 42, 88
Arsenal 1: Bendtner 18
Barcelona wins 6-3 on aggregate.
A girl once told me that she absolutely hated Arsenal because she thought of them as the team that wins everything. The kind of team made up of all of those evil and mean people in Hollywood movies that you're supposed to root against. The team you're supposed to hate with ever fiber of your being while you cheer for the underdog, that should go on to win in the end when the little guy pulls through in the final seconds, because it's a scripted movie.
I told her she was thinking of Manchester United, but I digress.
Entering today's Champions League quarter-final second leg in Barcelona, Arsenal was the exact opposite of the team described above. If this was a movie made in Hollywood, Arsenal was that little underdog you were supposed to root for. Barcelona had all of the big names who were supposed to waltz through the tie as if it were a minor inconvenience. The underdog rallied to even things up before embarking to Spain for the decisive leg, but would have to play the final 90 minutes of the round without several of their best players, out with injuries. Their captain out with a broken leg. Their best striker out now five months. Their second best offensive talent out. One of their best defenders, done for the year. Their bright young talent, hacked viciously one night in Stoke. Another anchor of their midfield, out. The odds were stacked against Arsenal and in any film, the Gunners would have come out on top in the end, a feel-good story of overcoming the odds.
Who are you rooting for in this film?
Apparently, this is real life. And apparently, even when that situation is presented, as it was by that girl several months ago, but in reverse, people still root against Arsenal. Every time Lionel Messi scored, the reaction from journalists appeared to be "ZOMGGGGG, DID U C THAT! AMAZING!!!!1!!!! I <3 HIMMMMM!!!111!1!1"
I'm sorry, I lost some respect for Messi when he rolled around on the pitch like he was shot in the back after Denilson won the ball with a textbook challenge while winning the ball, which resulted in a free kick to Barca and a yellow card to Denilson. And Arsenal-haters, I know you'll be quick to mention what happened between Tomas Rosicky and Karl Henry on Saturday. But there's a difference between a slightly late challenge from behind that's high enough to leave four stud marks on Rosicky's leg and a perfect challenge that completely wins the ball. Henry's red card was harsh for sure, but the call on Denilson shouldn't have even been a foul, let alone a yellow card.
Arsenal shocked the world by striking first, when Theo Walcott found himself on a break two-on-none with Nicklas Bendtner onside. Walcott's pass was awful and Bendtner's shot was saved but slipped out of the goalkeeper's grasp and Bendtner fired home the rebound. 1-0 Arsenal, 3-2 on aggregate. It was looking great!
And then, two minutes later, Messi equalized, and the whole match went to hell. Suddenly, you could see how much Arsenal was missing Alex Song more than anyone else. Without a natural holding midfielder, Arsenal could not contain Messi, and in 21 minutes, he had a hat trick.
Barcelona took their foot off the accelerator in the second half, but not in the same way as they did at the Emirates. They weren't exactly pressing for goals, but they were no slouches on defense. Arsenal's best chances either found Bendtner unable to turn and shoot in the penalty area, or someone else firing the ball into the crowd from 20 yards out.
Arsenal had two chances to pull back into the tie and hit the post on both of them, which were both offside anyway. Then Messi scored again, between Almunia's legs when he was slightly out of position, having already made one save. Once Messi had scored to pull the match even, Arsenal had been deflated.
So, where are we now? Out of Europe and with five more games until next season starts. Three points out of first with five games to play, needing Chelsea and Manchester United to drop even more points, while desperately having to win all five ourselves.
Today hurt.
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