We were not humiliated. Although the scoreline may suggest otherwise, Arsenal were every bit as good as Barcelona on Wednesday night, the only difference, once again, was the lethal finishing of the home side. If the Gunners had a front three even nearly as good as Barcelona’s, the aggregate score could have easily been 5 each.Â
The acceptance that Arsenal were already out helped soften the blow when Lionel Messi scored his annual chip against the Gunners and Luis Suarez’ finish just had to be applauded. Finishing aside, there were plenty of positives that Arsenal could take from the game. Here’s three of the biggest plus points.
1 – Mo Elneny
Well hello there. Criticised as an average signing because of his ‘average’ price-tag, Elneny arrived with low expectations. He was not trusted in the first team for some time, but now he has been given his chance, he is excelling. It’s not like he has played in easy games either, away at Tottenham and Barcelona have been two of his best performances and the fixtures do not get much harder than that. What is so good about Elneny is his reassurance in possession. The Egyptian does not look phased on under pressure ever, and since his yellow card against Manchester United, he has not made one rash challenge. He looks confident and is certainly the clubs most composed defensive midfielder. At just 23 years old, the early signs are good for this lad. Let’s hope he stays fit and continues to progress at the club.