Farcelona

I don't know where to start today, I just don't. What a horrible evening that was. The result compounded by possibly the worst steak and cheese baguette I have ever had - chewy beef that slapped against your bottom lip in full strips and dirty stringy pale cheese, and as for the onion rings,  don't even get me started on them.

Now then. Thoughts? A few, yes. Some you'll agree with and some you won't. On a night with a few flops, I think it only fair to start with the biggest.

Massimo Busacca. Step forward, please. You're first up, and please remove your tongue from the anus of Mr Guardiola when I'm talking to you. What the UTTER FUCK do you think you were playing at? I've seen some piss poor decisions in my life, but this is right up there with the best of them. Kicking the ball away? Time wasting? Are you sure? It was an abominable decision and a schoolboy one. As the news creeps in today that both Wenger and Nasri are being charged by UEFA over comments made to your good self, hold your hands up, sunshine, what did you expect? I tell you what I expect - at this level, the very pinnacle of European football, I expect at the very least a referee that is capable, not swayed by the histrionics of players, nor the baying screams of thousands upon thousands of supporters, and if at all possible - able to make sound decisions, not frivolous bookings in a game that matters so much. Admittedly you missed a chance to give Barcelona a penalty, but you more than made up for it by ignoring various scissor tackles, play acting and throat grabbing. If UEFA can charge players over comments, then I see no reason why a referee cannot at least be asked to explain his decisions. Then charged. Then hung, drawn and quartered. Then fed to the pigs. Big fat ugly pigs.

Cesc Fabregas. Oh God, this is going to be painful. Much as I hate to say it, I thought he was awful last night as he was in the first leg. If he was not 100% fit, then he shouldn't have played. If he did feel a pain in his leg after fifteen minutes, he should have come off, and if he did feel the need to back-heel a ball on the edge of the box, I can only suggest he does it up the other end next time. Suicide, Cesc, pure and simple. You may as well chuck in arrogant, unthinking and a tiny bit egotistical. His bleating tweet last night, if I'm honest, sounded a bit needy -

'Great support from the Arsenal fans. I take full blame for the result tonight. One of the worst moments of my life. I apologise.'

My clever, thoughtful, supportive and incisive reply -

'Don't be a twat. Get over it, and move on, Son.'

I haven't heard back yet, but I'll let you know when I do.

The match itself pretty much went as we all thought it would. Barcelona attacking, us defending and trying to catch them on the break. We defended brilliantly at times, but down to ten men, the result was inevitable. I had hoped before the game that Chamakh would start before Van persie's Lazarus-like rising from the treatment table was sprung upon us. I just felt that in a game where we would need to keep the ball up top when we had it, his strength and hold-up play would have been a better option, not to mention an aerial threat from set pieces. In the middle,  how we missed Song and his mad-haired ability to nick a ball. Diaby didn't cut it, Rosicky was again ineffective and Nasri struggled. The Barcelona midfield didn't make it easy with their high tempo pressing game, no, but I just expected a little more from our boys. Saucy Jack? Once again, brilliant. I can't speak too highly of him.

Scrabble went off with a dislocated finger and was replaced by Almunia as we all looked away and shook our heads. Amazingly, he kept us in the game, fair play to him, and how he might now be needed. Fingers crossed (dislocated or otherwise) however, that we don't.

The goals? You've seen them. Messi's opener was something so daring and beautiful I could watch it again and again, had it not been against us. Ours was an own goal courtesy of Biscuits from a corner, and for a few minutes we dared to believe. The sending off put paid to that and the seige continued. We were cut through the middle for Xavi to slot in the second and Pedro fell over Koscielny's leg before any contact was made, and Messi calmly stroked in the inevitable penalty.

So we fucking lost. Three one. Four three on aggregate. Against the best team in the world. The shame of it is that they couldn't even be gracious in victory. There is a snidey side to Barcelona that I despise, and it's unbecoming of a team with such brilliant, mercurial talents. They should be winning games on their footballing merits alone, and definitely not with the help of a weak-willed referee. 

Bring on United.