WILSHERE REMINISCES ON HUGE BARCELONA WIN

Ex-Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere recently looked back on the big Champions League win over Spanish La Liga side Barcelona for his beloved North London club. Wilshere came through the youth system at Arsenal before making his first team debut as a teenager. He was still a teenager when he lined up against accomplished midfielders such as Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.

Wilshere talked about the Champions League win for Arsenal over Barcelona while he was on talkSPORT last month. According to him, the pace of Theo Walcott was key to the win as he helped Arsenal attack the Barcelona defenders whenever they had the ball. Barcelona had a big share of the possession, but the pace of Walcott helped the Gunners make a quick transition from defence to attack whenever they win the ball back from Barcelona.

Barcelona took a first half lead through David Villa before Dutchman Robin Van Persie replied with the Arsenal equaliser in the final quarter of the game. Robin Van Persie surprised Victor Valdes with a near-post finish for the Arsenal equaliser before Andrei Arshavinscored the winning goal to send the Emirates Stadium crowd into excitement from an Arsenal point of view.
The goals from Robin Van Persie and Andrei Arshavin ensured that Arsenal won 2-1 to take a lead to Spain for the second leg of their last 16 tie during the 2010/11 season. Arsenal put up a remarkable fight against favourites Barcelona, but they were found wanting especially in the second leg when Arsenal lost 3-1 for Barcelona to seal a 4-3 aggregate win. The Gunners were not helped in the second leg at the Nou Camp by the unnecessary sending off of Robin Van Persie for two yellow cards in the first half. The second yellow card was for kicking the ball, but the striker pleaded his innocence that he didn’t hear that the whistle had been blown. Barcelona saw off Arsenal in a controversial manner and went on to win the Champions League title that season.