On the 5th of February we witnessed Cheik Tiote smash home the eighth goal in a wondrous Premier League affair in the North East. In the same afternoon another 35 goals were registered in record-breaking style as the most entertaining and exciting weekend in English Football dazzled the country. Seven days later we were found gawping at Wayne Rooney’s stunning acrobatic goal that transformed an England number 1 into a garden gnome sat inanimately on the goal line.
As football fans we could say that over the last fortnight we have been slightly spoilt. However, with the return of the Champions League one game in particular looks likely to surpass that excellence when the Spanish champions line up against the Gunners.
Arsenal and Barcelona, two very similar sides but with one main difference. Trophies. After the master-class that was the demolition of Real Madrid back in November, Barcelona have become favourites to win the Champions League for a fourth time and to do so in their own celebrated and poetic style. A style that is built on one touch football.
And then there’s Arsenal. A team who play some of the best and most attractive football in the country maneuvered by a tactical genius, an architect of the modern passing game, a Frenchman who’s helped redefine an old English treasure. Arsenal spent most of the last decade dominating the Premiership, which included two Premier League titles; three FA Cups and a record breaking unbeaten run that lasted from May 2003 to October 2004.
However, for the majority of Gunners fans there was one trophy missing. In 2006 Arsenal reached the final of the Champions League and it seemed that winning this would be the icing on the cake of such an unforgettable reign in British football. An evening of promise turned into a night of heartbreak as the London side took home the runners up medal and watched as Barcelona lifted the European Cup.
Since then a new age of talent has been forced to replace the departures of Thierry Henry, Gilberto Silva and Patrik Viera (to name a few) and with a lack of experience in the young side it appeared that Arsenal’s march across England and into European territory had fizzled out. With the Gunners having to rebuild and regain momentum Barcelona kept raising the bar. Three of the contenders for 2010’s Ballon d’Or lace their midfield and with a performance that sent the footballing world into ovation in the Catalan derby it’s hard to see where else they can improve right now.
This Wednesday both teams meet for the third time in two seasons. Over both legs last time round Barca were the dominant force as Messi and co out shone Arsenal’s brightest and it seems likely that the Spanish 11 are setting out to break the Gunners’ hearts once more. In a week of valentine’s celebration, let the romance ensue.
