FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.04.2010 12:19

Figures contradict the eventual result

Roger Bogunyà

Barça felt they deserved to win at the Emirates Stadium. The stats support the fact that the potential was there to win by a huge margin.

- Guardiola’s side shot 16 times more than Arsenal. 22 compared to 6. Nine of those shots were in the first twenty minutes.

- 11 of those were on target. Arsenal scored twice with only 3 shots on target.

- The goalkeeper stats speak for themselves. Almunia made nine saves and Valdés just one, from a Bendtner strike.

- Any doubts went out of the window in the first minute. FC Barcelona would hold onto the possession. So it was for 70 minutes. The Gunners made 404 passes, of which 304 were good, and Barça made 694 and only made mistakes with 91.

- Guardiola’s side also won more balls. 64 versus 53.

- Barça had 70 % of the possession in the first half. In the second they were less dominant, but still enjoyed more than 50 %.

- Sergio Busquets played his 41st game of the season. That’s as many as he played all last year. He is clearly growing in importance.

- Maxwell started his 12th consecutive match in London. He has started every game in February and March.

- The draw means Barça have broken their away record in Europe. With seven draws and four wins on the road, they have bettered their 10 games without losing between the semi final of the Champions League in 2001/02 and the 2004/05 group stages.

- Barça came close to becoming the first team to beat Arsenal away in the first leg of a European match. Nobody has ever managed that.