Barcelona vs. Arsenal: Assessing the Battle of Xavi and Messi vs. Fabregas and Robin van Persie

It was a night to remember at the Emirates as Arsenal defeated Barcelona for the first time ever with goals from Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin cancelling out the lone goal from David Villa. The Gunners showed the fight and hunger to defeat the Spanish giants and were rewarded for their endeavour as they take that slender advantage to the Nou Camp.

The Barcelona players stressed that they were the better team on the night though the result did not reflect that but did accept that their profligacy in front of goal had let Arsenal off the hook. Pep Guardiola’s team were the better team for 60 minutes in which time they had scored through Villa and also managed to create many more chances.

Lionel Messi was amongst the chief culprits on the night missing a host of chances which was uncharacteristic of the Argentine wizard. But the Argentina International will try his best to make amends and reproduce that scintillating performance against the Gunners one year back.

Messi is a player who is capable of producing the magic capable of bewitching the best defenders in the world and he will be required to be at his best to ensure that the Blaugrana do not suffer an early exit from the tournament. Laurent Koscielny had his best game of his Arsenal career against Barcelona and will again need to be at his best in order to shackle the brilliance of Messi.

During the course of this one year between the last two meeting, much of the controversy involving the two teams have been about the future of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas. The Catalan club tried their best to bring back their former youth player but Arsene Wenger and Arsenal stood firm in confirming that the player was not for sale.

The saga did damage the relationship between the clubs and the signing of Barcelona youth player Jon Miquel Toral just before the first leg added spice to the tie. Fabregas returns to his home in Spain but with an aim to defeat his former club. Though many critics have questioned his commitment to the Gunners, he has always put in his best efforts for the club which has helped him develop into a world class player.

The Spanish midfielder was not at his best against Barcelona in the first leg but he did create spaces for his team mates and his vision helped Arsenal produce good attacking play though they had less possession. His pass to find Nasri which lead to the second goal was very important and his presence on the pitch will be enormous for the Gunners.

His return to the Nou Camp will be emotional personally but being the professional that he is, he will look to perform for the Gunners in a manner which will make the Blaugrana all the more interested to take him back. He is expected to replace the excellent Xavi Hernandez when the Spanish legend retires.

However Xavi has been as consistent as ever and his influence on the game will be a key factor for Barcelona. The Spanish maestro will spray passes all over the pitch and link all the attacking riches of their team with beautiful passes. He is the chief creator for the team and Arsenal will need to stop his regular supply of through balls to the forward line. The trio of Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi play in triangles which are impossible to break down but it is likely that Busquets might have to play the role of a centre back due to the absence of two regular centre backs, Gerard Pique through suspension and Carles Puyol through injury.

The Barcelona backline will be relatively weak for the game as opposed to their first choice defence and Arsenal’s attacking talents including the likes of Andrei Arshavin and Samir Nasri will try to take full advantage of that. But the player who made the difference in the first leg and could again have a huge role to play is Robin van Persie who stunned Victor Valdes by scoring from an extraordinary angle.

Van Persie was expected to be out till the beginning of April for sure and even the most optimistic of supporters would not have been expecting him to feature in this game. But it has been the shock inclusion of Van Persie which has given the Gunners a huge boost ahead of this game after their draw against Sunderland. The Dutchman’s presence is bound to provide confidence to the Gunners and he has the ability to conjure brilliant goals from nothing.

Though Messi and Fabregas will be the names around which most of the discussions revolve, they must have the support from all the other players, especially Xavi Hernandez and Robin van Persie, respectively. This is a game which will feature some of the best talents in the world and it will be 90 minutes of intriguing action which will separate the winners.

The stadium will be completely filled and the vibe that they generate will also be important for the Blaugrana. It is all set for the game to begin and let us hope for an exciting match between two of the most positive teams in the world.

Arsenal and Manchester United interested in acquiring the services of Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara

Barcelona youngster Thiago Alcantara has not enjoyed too many chances in the first team due to the impressive form of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. His contract ends in the summer and has not committed his future to the Blaugrana. Jonathan dos Santos and Thiago are said to be two of the most gifted academy players but at the age of 19, Thiago is interested in playing more in the first team.

Also, the signing of Ibrahim Afellay has pushed him further down the pecking order and he could move on in January. Arsenal and Manchester United are both said to be interested in acquiring the services of the midfielder who has got good vision and creativity.

Thiago would be interested to join the Gunners considering Wenger gives opportunities to youngsters and also, another young Spaniard from La Masia has gone on to captain the Arsenal team. Cesc Fabregas has developed immensely at Arsenal and his progress could influence Thiago’s decision.

Manchester United have also got an excellent record of developing youngsters and are interested in the 19-year old. The Red Devils have not got a proper replacement for the aging Paul Scholes and Sir Alex Ferguson has got a lot of faith in Tom Cleverley. But Thiago could be a good addition and could be a regular for Manchester United in the future.

Barcelona will be interested in keeping the youngster but cannot provide him too many opportunities. He wants to be promoted to the first team and since there are no indications of that happening, he could well move on. Also, Barcelona are expected to sign Cesc Fabregas sometime in the future which means that Thiago’s chances at the heart of the Barcelona midfield is not so good. Arsenal and Manchester United are both good clubs for the youngster and he must decide on which club is best suited to his development.

Cesc Fabregas' Future is at Arsenal and not in Barcelona until Xavi Hernandez Retires

Cesc Fabregas is one of the world's finest play-makers and is the captain and talisman for the Gunners. He is the leader on the pitch and most of Arsenal's attacking play revolves around the talented young Spaniard. He has shown the willingness and determination to be successful for the Gunners and is a huge fan favourite at the Emirates.

He was one of the leading lights of Barcelona's La Masia academy in which he played alongside quality players like Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi. Arsene Wenger promised Francesc Fabregas of playing first team football for one of Europe's biggest clubs and he was interested to sign for Arsenal and it did not cost Arsenal much money to sign the talented midfielder.

Barcelona has regretted their decision to let their young gem leave their club and have looked to bring him back to Spain for some years now. The Catalan club have bid for the Spanish midfielders on some occasions but have seen their attempts rebuffed by Arsene Wenger and Arsenal.

Fabregas started his Arsenal career playing in the 4-4-2 formation alongside Gilberto Silva and established himself as one of the most important players in the Arsenal team. Though he does not possess too much physicality, he is a tough competitor and has adjusted his game to suit to the physical demands of the Premier League.

Arsene Wenger tinkered with his formation to allow Fabregas the luxury to be more attacking in a 4-3-3 formation. The Spaniard has excelled in this formation and has acquired the knack of scoring important goals for the Gunners. From a very young age, he has had a great eye to pick out passes and it is no wonder that he has had numerous assists for the Gunners.

Arsenal's main striker, Robin Van Persie, said that in every match that Fabregas played, he would get at least three or four good chances to score and it was up to him to make full use of the chances which highlighted the importance of Fabregas in the team.

He is highly regarded by his teammates and though he might be younger than some of the other Arsenal players, he is respected as the captain and undisputed leader of the team.

Fabregas has suffered numerous injuries in his Arsenal career and his recurrent hamstring issue has drawn comparisons with Michael Owen, whose brilliant career has been blighted by the same fault.

But with the emergence of Samir Nasri, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, Fabregas' workload will be reduced in the future and that should not be cited as a reason for him to move away from the Emirates because he is a fighter and will not back down from a good physical battle.

Fabregas has dreamt of conquering many titles in Spain and Europe with his hometown club Barcelona, who are in the midst of an incredible era. He has been frustrated with Arsenal's lack of titles and Wenger's policy of not spending enough to acquire quality players.

But even though Arsenal have not spent much, they have a quality team which is capable of winning titles if Fabregas is fully focused and can be at his best for the Gunners.

Barcelona have shown a lot of interest in bring back the Spaniard to the Camp Nou and in this summer, speculations were rife that Fabregas will join the Catalan club, but Wenger stood firm and the £29 million bid was not going to be enough to prise their biggest asset. Fabregas' love for the Blaugrana is well documented but he must be pragmatic when he looks at his options.

It is fair to say that Xavi Hernandez is the heart and soul of the Barcelona midfield while Andres Iniesta is his established partner. Barcelona's humiliation of Real Madrid proved once again that Xavi Hernandez cannot be displaced from the Barcelona team till he calls it a day.

Andres Iniesta is a different midfielder to Xavi and possesses dribbling skills which are comparable to Lionel Messi. Iniesta is arguably Barcelona's most creative player and is close to irreplaceable just like Xavi in the Barcelona midfield.

This leaves only Sergio Busquets in the three man midfield of Barcelona, and Fabregas cannot compete with Busquets because though he is more talented than the Barcelona midfielder, he cannot do his job in defensive midfield.

This would mean that Cesc Fabregas will have to settle for a role on the bench, most probably as an impact or late substitute. He might get starts in matches to reduce the workload of Xavi and Iniesta but he will be on the bench for key contests in the La Liga and Champions League.

For a player of Cesc Fabregas' quality, he should he starting for a team regularly in important games and he is bound to be frustrated if he does not get enough games. Pep Guardiola has found immense success in the present formation and will have no reason to alter it even with the inclusion of Fabregas in his squad.

Barcelona have further strengthened their squad with the expected deal of Ibrahim Afellay, who is bound to join the Blaugrana in January. Afellay is a talented young player who is probably going to be on the bench and will be used to reduce Xavi and Iniesta's workload over the course of the season. Barcelona might also use Afellay or Bojan Krkic as a makeweight in the Fabregas deal, but Arsenal would be more than pleased to keep their prized asset at the Emirates.

Cesc Fabregas has regarded Arsene Wenger as his second father and does not want to part ways with the Gunners on a bitter note. The Arsenal supporters do not have any memories of the long transfer saga and embraced him with warm applause when he made his first appearance of the season.

Fabregas should be firm in deciding where his future lies and despite his love for the Blaugrana, he has got too much quality to spend the best years of his career on the Barcelona bench.

At only 24, Fabregas should be playing regularly and should continue with the Gunners for a minimum of the next two or three years before he moves to Spain to replace the aging but quintessential Xavi Hernandez.

Arsenal draw Barcelona; Can Captain Cesc Fabregas lead the Gunners to glory?

Arsene Wenger proved to be right as the Gunners will face the team that knocked them out in the Champions League in the last season. Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott did wish to meet Barcelona while Lukasz Fabianski said there was a sense of inevitability that they would face the Spanish giants in the knock-out phases.

Barcelona are currently the favourites amongst bookmakers and they will face Arsenal who will not indulge in the negative tactics that they had to deal in the tie against Inter Milan. The Gunners played a rather open game last season which allowed the Blaugrana to flourish at the Emirates.

Theo Walcott said before the draw that they would like to face Barcelona to show that they are much stronger this season compared to the last time they met in the Quarter-Finals. He has got a chance to do just that but they will be aware that Barcelona have also become stronger with the addition of Javier Mascherano and importantly, David Villa.

Lionel Messi made the Arsenal defence look very ordinary as he turned in a performance which is not likely to be forgotten as he gears up to meet the Gunners in February. Wenger and Arsenal have accepted that this is possibly their toughest challenge and will be aware of the threat of the European giants.

It is quite obvious that Barcelona will go into the game as the favourites and considering the superb talent in their armoury, they will be expected to progress. With the weight of expectations off their shoulders, the Gunners should try to enjoy the game while giving their best in order to defeat the former Champions.

The Gunners had a make-shift defensive pairing the last time these two teams met with Alex Song and then, Mikael Silvestre partnering Thomas Vermaelen due to the injuries to Johan Djourou and William Gallas and they suffered as a result of that. Wenger has let William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell leave the club and reinforced the defence with the signings of Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci.

Thomas Vermaelen has endured a rather difficult time with injuries this season but should be back for the marquee encounter. Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie should be back to full fitness in recent weeks and should they stay fit, Arsenal will have the men to take the fight to the Spanish champions. Also, Samir Nasri has been the player of the season for Arsenal and presents a major threat to Barcelona while Marouane Chamakh has shown he has the ability to work hard and score goals when necessary.

Barcelona manager highlighted that Samir Nasri would be a major threat for his team and plans will be hatched to stop him from wreaking havoc against their defence. Barcelona were continuously linked with a move for their former youth player and present Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas in the summer but Wenger was able to keep his biggest asset at the Emirates.

In my opinion, Arsenal's chances of qualifying to the next stage will hinge on Cesc Fabregas to a great deal. He has been far from his best and has struggled to gain full fitness following recurring hamstring injuries. But Arsene Wenger is unwilling to risk him too early and he will hopefully completely recover from his injuries.

Cesc Fabregas is Arsenal's best midfielder and despite the emergence of Samir Nasri, the Spaniard is the one who is at the hub of almost all of Arsenal's attacks. He has an air of calm about him and is a leader on the field. He could be closed down by Xavi and Sergio Busquets and needs good support from Denilson and Alex Song.

He is the best in the team in creating chances for his teammates and should he find his goal scoring form of the last season, he could be a huge threat for his former club. He has said in the past that it is his dream to play for Barcelona in the future but Barcelona will know that he will give his full effort for the Gunners' cause.

Cesc Fabregas is the key to Arsenal as his experience will be invaluable in breaking down Barcelona's brilliant passing game. He would dearly love to show his worth for the Gunners and show Barcelona why they did want him in their squad. In my opinion, it could be the performance of Cesc Fabregas which could decide how the Gunners perform against Barcelona.

Wenger was expecting a clash with Barcelona before the draw took place and now that his expectation has come to pass, the French tactician will have to devise a sound strategy to stifle Barcelona's midfield and allow the Gunners to express themselves on the pitch. However, the Gunners should concentrate on the games coming up in the Premiership at present and should they gather the three points against Chelsea, they would be in buoyant mood leading up to the new year.