Wenger faces a refined challenge

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEGS/Arsenal v Barcelona:"LET'S ALL do a Wenger," the St Andrew's crowd chanted before throwing their hands in the air. Exasperation can look like the Arsenal manager's default setting. The aftermath of Saturday's 1-1 draw was predictable as Arsene Wenger made many complaints.

Critics respond by protesting that the Frenchman feels he has some right to determine how the opposition should play.

At the Emirates tonight Wenger has refined visitors, although he can scarcely be delighted to take on men who not only share his values but do so to greater effect.

Barcelona are more of a rapier than a measuring stick. Nonetheless, the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final will be revealing about the development of Arsenal.

In January, Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill imagined precisely this occasion after becoming exasperated by Wenger’s comments on his side’s supposedly direct style. “If they lose to Barcelona, Barcelona will be considered a long-ball team,” the Northern Irishman said scornfully.

O’Neill was at pains then to declare his admiration for Pep Guardiola’s side while insisting that Arsenal do not live up to Wenger’s rhetoric. “What he wants to do,” said the Villa manager, “is try and point out to everyone who is under his spell that Arsenal are the only delightful team around. You are trying to get an excuse ready if you cannot compete with Manchester United and Chelsea. That is the point.

“The fact is they probably are able to compete, because they have enough physical players in their side to cope.”

Wenger himself is too wise to delude himself that the squad have simply been kicked out of contention.

It ought to be absurd that we should picture Arsenal among the elite. While the cost of the Emirates is being paid off, Wenger works within the sort of transfer budget that some of his peers would see as cause to set mere respectability in the Premier League as the target.

Considering the financial context, Arsenal are remarkable even now. Their quality is taken for granted to such an extent that a 6-2 aggregate defeat of Porto, who appeared to have a sound squad, did not excite much notice in the last 16 of the Champions League.

An encounter with Barcelona, however, is a different matter. Arsenal, despite seeing their goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off after 18 minutes, led these adversaries in the 2006 final before being beaten 2-1.

Barcelona, who are again the holders, have improved since then, and one of the few obvious weaknesses must now lie in the fatigue that comes while chasing success on several fronts for club and, in some cases, country.

It would be folly to ignore the hardiness in Guardiola’s ranks. The manager achieved a gritty win at Mallorca on Saturday. Lionel Messi was not brought off the bench until the 49th minute when he took over from Andres Iniesta, who is ruled out of tonight’s match with a hamstring injury.

The victory did not come through ravishing football. Instead, the goal arrived when Zlatan Ibrahimovic thrashed the ball high into the net from close range following a corner kick. There was nothing whatsoever elegant about it.

The Swede, in fact, is precisely the man to score ugly. Criticisms of him abound and the deal that took him from Internazionale was outrageously expensive, but whatever he lacks in mobility is offset by power, height, technique and a predatory instinct.

The pursuit of Ibrahimovic was further proof Guardiola wishes the polish of Barcelona to be accompanied by heft. While the side safeguard themselves by retaining the ball, they are efficient when making challenges in midfield as well as defence.

Arsenal share some of the smoothness of these visitors, but it may be the grit that counts.

There are five clubs in the Premier League with a better defensive record than Wenger’s.

Injury to a centre-back such as William Gallas has had its bearing on that, but Arsenal, in general, are too little of a hindrance to opponents. Alex Song has been a leading performer and he will need to make himself an obstacle when Barcelona have the ball if he is in action as a defensive midfielder.

Wenger’s team cannot afford to be too expansive against rivals who are an upgraded version of themselves.