London, February 17: Substitute Andrey Arshavin’s late winner has given Arsenal a stunning 2-1 victory against Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinal.
The Gunners came from behind to clinch the great win at the Emirates Stadium in London on Wednesday.
In the 26th minute, a pass from Argentine ace Lionel Messi sent striker David Villa racing clear and the Spanish World Cup star drilled a low shot beneath Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Twenty-three minutes after the break, Arsenal’s Dutch striker Robin van Persie conjured a goal out of nothing.
In another counter attack, Samir Nasri sent Arshavin a pass in the penalty box and the Russian swept in a majestic winner.
“I think we created more chances this time, but they position themselves well and are very good on the counter attack,” said Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola.
The Spanish coach also predicted “a spectacular return match” in Camp Nou on March 8.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger praised the Wednesday’s clash, saying, “It was one of the special nights because I feel we needed to be a special team.”
“It’s open. We will go and play our game again because you cannot just defend against this team. Our confidence will grow,” he added.
In another match same day, Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Roma 3-2 in the Italian capital city of Rome.
—-Agencies