Excellent equaliser by Elneny but Arsenal lose 5-1 on aggregate

At times Arsenal played quite well last night.

They made chances

But Barcelona 3 Arsenal 1 was no surprise

They were never going to win and we all knew that.

He started Flamini and Iwobi.

He started Flamini & Iwobi in the Nou Camp!

Coquelin,Walcott and Giroud came on as subs. It was a feisty Arsenal performance on a very wet night in Barcelona. Typical of how the team can perform when the pressure is off and they’re not expected to get a result.

But Arsenal’s defensive organisation remains a massive concern. They gave the ball away carelessly for Neymar’s opening goal – and parted like the Red Sea for Messi’s strike for 3-1.

A classy, experienced centreback must be a top target in summer transfer window. As ever, Bellerin and Monreal started too high, leaving the centrebacks isolated at times, open to thrusts by the best attacking trio in the world football.

Against his old club, Alexis Sanchez had probably his best game for many months. He looked fully fit at last and obviously had a point to prove.

He made the goal for El-Neny and was always Arsenal’s biggest threat.

Ozil did some good things as well.

Overall, Arsenal still lack the ability to convert chances and the 5-1 aggregate scoreline was a condemnation of Wenger’s stubborn refusal to address the team’s obvious weaknesses – and his lack of tactical nous.

On a night when Bayern Munich were attacked by Juventus, who took a 2-0 lead, Bayern hit back and scored four goals. The last two were headers by Lewandowski and Muller.

But when Barcelona are without big Pique, and vulnerable to a good cross, Wenger doesn’t start Giroud, who can head crosses into the net.

On ITV, Roy Keane said Arsenal are technically very good but lack leaders.

Lee Dixon said ,”I think there needs to be a change.”

Referring to 2004, Lee said, “He built a team of strength and power and then he changed to a very tippy-tappy, very skilful side, lots of smaller players. He completely changed the way the team plays. He needs to change.”

Myles says:

He won’t change, Lee.

He is too arrogant to change. He will continue to use your club as a vehicle for his flawed ideas.

He loves being a dictator and King of the Colney Comfort Zone.

He thinks he deserves to be a dictator for the next 20 years and he makes sure that there is nobody around who will ever challenge him.

Wenger doesn’t delegate and doesn’t teach defence and can’t think on his feet. So his subs lose games as often as they win them.

Last night was a development game for Iwobi and Elneny.

The whole stagnant farce we see now has its roots in distant history. Because there has been a power vacuum at Arsenal since 1945. The conservative directors just wanted the club to participate and tick over, so Secretary Bob Wall ran the club, then Ken Friar took over – and Friar is still there!

Then David Dein dragged Arsenal into the 20th century.

When Dein was sacked, Wenger said the club might appoint a Director of Football. But that never happened. The absence of Dein gave Wenger even more power.

Sick of going out in the Round of 16?

Got a feeling you’ve been here before and before and before? The consistency of Arsene FC’s failure is unprecedented, staggering and uncanny.

They’ve gone out in the Round of 16 for the last 8 years.

If Wenger gave himself the tools to do the job, Arsenal could win their Group and avoid Barcelona in the Round of 16. But they usually cock up the Group and finish second.

2015-16 was the season where Wenger found a different way of cocking it up: he started Ospina in the first two Group games.

My best guess for the future?

Get ready for another 8 years of Groundhog Day.