After Tottenham Hotspur threw down the gauntlet in Milan last night, their North London neighbours Arsenal responded in the best way by defeating Barcelona 2-1 at the Emirates to hold the initiative before the second leg in the Catalan capital on March 8th.
Before the game, so much was made about last season's encounter at the Emirates when Barcelona dominated possession only to draw 2-2. Barcelona were without their talismanic central defender Carlos Puyol and had suffered their first draw in 17 games on Saturday when drawing at Sporting Gijon. Arsenal had won six consecutive league games and Arsene Wenger was quietly confident with Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas on form, along with a quietly improving Jack Wilshere next to the club captain. A lot depended upon the incisive passing of Xavi Hernandez and Andreas Iniesta combined with the potency of Lionel Messi (40goals in 34 games). It all promised an enthralling encounter.
