Arsenal might have lost 2-0 to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening in London, but the two major actors in the game seem to have similar views about the outcome.
A Lionel Messi second half brace continued Barca’s seven game unbeaten streak against the English giants who are now on the brink of another abrupt elimination.
Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger and his Barcelona counterpart, Luis Enrique, slammed the display of the Gunners.
Wenger, whose side conceded a penalty in the closing stages of the game, exonerated the referee from all blames, while blasting his team instead.
“Let’s be honest, we haven’t lost the game because of the referee,” Wenger told BT Sports after the game
“We have to look at ourselves and analyse ourselves. Maybe he gave one or two fouls which were not fouls but overall he has had no major influence on the result of the game.
“Barcelona are certainly through, 95 per cent, but we want to go there and play.
“We are Arsenal football club and we will not go there to just have no chance. What we want is to focus on our next game. It’s a shame that the players have not got any satisfaction tonight because energy-wise we put absolutely everything in.”
His opposite number, Enrique, was pleased Barca eventually broke Arsenal down, accusing them of being extremely defensive in the first half.
“In the first half they defended with all their players behind the ball, but we were able to tire them out so that chances came,” he said.
“Everyone who knows football knows you need a first half like this, so in the second half you can do that.
“They were tired out. We could open spaces and make chances.
“We also did very well stopping them from countering on us.”
Barcelona are now 33 games unbeaten in all competitions, which is a run that stretches back to the start of October.
