Whats the point in writing a match report? Everyone has seen the game – and what a game it was.

The first thing to say is I’m so proud to be an Arsenal fan, the team were dead and buried, at 2-0 down I said ‘we’re gonna get beat at least 3-0, its typical, failure against a top side again!‘ How I was wrong, I underestimated the mental strength of this team once again as they came back from the brink against the best team in the world, on their day, playing the best football their players have ever admitted to playing. That is one hell of an achivement.

It will go down as one of the very best comebacks in European history – along with one of the very best European performances, never mind even that it was away from home in a country they and their players have not enjoyed much success.

The first half was exhibition stuff, the kind of football you play with Accrington Stanley on FIFA after about ten seasons. Never have I seen a performance like it by a football team, the sheer quality of their play would have gazumped any other football team, not only did it look like Barca were finding it easy, it looked like the tie would be over in less than a quarter of the time it should be.

But, however good Barcelona were the Arsenal rearguard was something special. Almunia was a hero after the first 30 minutes with several stunning saves, has that won him the number one jersey for another season? If it did I wouldn’t hold it against him – he was at fault for the first goal but it was bound to happen with Barca having well over twenty shots on goal in the game, and the majority were on target too.

Then came the injuries…could the night get any worse?

Gallas stricken on the ground: ‘this could the the last time we see this guy in an Arsenal shirt’ – my exact thoughts

Andrey Arshavin hobbling off ‘why us? again?’ he isn’t getting much luck at the moment.

And then Barcelona scored seconds after half time.

The goalscorer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, had had a Bendtneresque performance up to that moment but you have to admit that it was a rather tasty finish – almost like Theo Walcott’s against Villarreal last season at the same stage of the competition – and at the same end of the Grove. All the hard work seemed wasted, I really didn’t think that the team had enough in them to even really trouble the Barcelona defence, they just couldn’t get the ball off them.

What hurt the most for me was not the fact that it was a passage of beautiful play that led to the goal, I could have accepted that easier, but the fact it was a long ball over the top. We were playing Barcelona at their absolute best and we get undone by a bloody hoof over the top? Sickening. The pass was a goodun’, but you can see where I’m coming from, right?

The one bright spark going forward was Samir Nasri (more on his importance in the coming days after the Cesc injury) who had one shot go narrowly wide and was running around trying to create something. His backtracking was brilliant too, and you can tell by the omission on one fabled name so far…Lionel Messi – The combination of Clichy, Nasri and Vermaelen kept him pretty quiet after the opening twenty or so minutes.

Then it happens again 2-0 down. I thought we were onto a hiding then I have to say, game and tie well and truly over – the commentators  thought so too, one bright spark said the game at the Nou Camp would be a dead rubber. Not anymore, Einstein.

Enter: Theo Walcott – the enigma, headless chicken, speedster… [enter corny tabloid nickname here]

Boy can this guy run. You know you get those flat kind of escalator things at the airport with the path down the middle and your strolling down one of them going ‘hahaha!’ at the people pulling their heavy cases down the path in the middle? Well, it seemed as if he was on one of them each time he tore Maxwell a new hole down the right hand side. Finally, we had some end product off him, too.

He cut inside and his weak shot went underneath the ‘keeper – some say he could have done better but I couldn’t give a toss. A strange feeling came over me… Optimism? Is it really optimism?! How can it be? The team have just been battered for nigh on 70 minutes by the best team in the world with the best player in the world and we have a patched up captain (who granted, is rather a special player) and no more substitutes left because some moron has voodoo dolls of William Gallas and Arshavin with a lot of needles in both their calfs. Prick.

Anyway, there was a nagging doubt in the back of my mind about Barcelona hitting us on the counter, but in the 83rd minute of the game Bendtner laid off a cross for Cesc to finish off – only he  collided with Carles Puyol – breaking his leg in the process. The ref gave a penalty and sent Puyol off. Harsh, but did I care? Do I need to answer that?

Up steps Cesc who absolutely smegs it down the middle of the goal. He somehow hobbles back to the center circle but its obvious he isn’t gonna have much impact on the rest of the match – thats if he can continue, remember, no subs left.

Back on he hobbles, broken leg n all. 5-10 minutes later the final whistle goes. We haven’t really come back from 2-0 down against a Barcelona side playing FIFA/PRO-EVO football against us have we? Jesus…

You know what, this game has probably smashed our chances of winning something this season into tiny little pieces but how many teams could be as resilient as Arsenal were on Wednesday evening?

The latest news is that Cesc Fabregas has a cracked fibula and will miss at least six weeks, effectively ruling him out for the entire season, Gallas is missing for at least another two weeks, ditto Arshavin who’s relationship with the Emirates boo boys is starting to deteriorate at  a rapid rate of knots. Robin van Persie won’t be back in full contact training for another two weeks either.

The tie isn’t over yet though, funnily I would have taken a 0-0 in that game as it would be a straight shootout in Barcelona with the odds even – Barca at home, us with the away goal possibility. In 20 years time I will be proud to say I witnessed that game. This side are like Rocky (in fact that should be our entrance tune. not that Elvis track), pounded against United and Chelsea, pounded against United at home in the semi’s last season, pounded by a scintillating Barcelona…but the team still fight back. Legs snapped like linguine – and we still fight back. Its the stuff of well…it could only be Arsenal.

The chances of us going through are slimmer than ever now really considering the losses – but can you write this team off?

Never.