We're less than a week away from the first of these two legs and already the excitement and tension are palpable! The question on everyone's lips is the same: can the Gunners avoid a complete and utter spanking? Gooners will be hoping that they can, at the very least, offer some kind of resistance to the likes or Messi, Suarez, and Neymar, and get a couple of shots on goal (even no-hopers from 30 or 40 years), and thereby avoid the debacle the World witnessed the last time these two sides met. For the rest of us, we're hoping that Barca take pity and keep the score down to a vaguely respectable one-figure level, and that the inevitable humiliation does not further tarnish and soil the dignity and reputation of English football (which stills suffers from having been torn to tatters after the previous debacle). But anyway... enough of such negativity! Let's get out our scarves, rattles, and flasks of coffee, and let us soak up the atmosphere in the build up! But all means, lads, use this thread to set out your thoughts on the upcoming two legs, and your reminiscences of past meetings between these two highly mis-matched teams. As the matches play out, I will be keeping a tally on the score. Again, and as always, lads, no wumming, please. Thanks.
Can only see it going one way and that is an easy win in both legs for Barca, tbf though that goes for any team they would come up against. Barca's front three is the best attacking line up the world has ever seen.
All of that is true. However, it does seem that Arsenal appear to be particularly impotent against Barca. They were humiliated by a side that wasn't as strong as the one they will be up against next week, and when they had a stronger team. I am sure that I am not the only Englishman who shudders to think of the potential humiliation that awaits! I feel heavily soiled, already.
What combinations of humiliation are possible without the result meaning that the Goons cost the PL the 4th CL slot next season ??
Good question, RDBD. If the Gunners do cost us 4th spot in the CL, a fitting humiliation (in addition to the inevitable mullering on the field) would be for them to finish in that 4th spot, and to, effectively, be hoisted by their own petard.
I expect Barca to win 6-1 at our place and 8-1 at theirs. Anything less is a moral victory for Arsenal
Whatever happens, I will take satisfaction in the fact that we are playing the best of the best in Europe's premier competition, whilst the OP makes threads about us as his own team play in the the Minnows pot of Europe.
Let's be honest, it's going to be a huge ask for us to get past Barca. What would be hilarious though is that after endless weeks of wumming and predictions that we are going to get a pasting, that we actually did beat them. HIAG would need a hiding place that nobody could find for a long time
Do you really think that's likely, mate? Go on, be honest. For once. By the way, I'm not wumming, Pixie. Those days are behind me.
I just said, it will be a huge ask for us to get past them. I think you need to concentrate on overcoming your humiliation at the hands of Fiorentina again before you comment on anything the big clubs do in Europe's premier competition.
Arsenal have come up with performances in the past when needed. They will either pull something out their arse in this first leg to get their hopes up before Barca tear them a new one in the second leg, or get battered by three or four in both legs. No chance of going through imo, not with that attack (Barca) vs defence (Arsenal) I fully expect Barca to lift the trophy
How good is Barca's defence? They don't seem to face much of a challenge when I've watched them this season.
That trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar are on another planet, Even if you double up on one or two of them, it then leaves the other one even more room.
