Gunners rally for dramatic Barca draw

Gunners rally for dramatic Barca draw

Published Mar. 31, 2010 9:46 p.m. ET

Arsenal fought back from two goals down against Barcelona to earn a 2-2 draw after the visitors earlier put on a ruthless display in their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas converted a late penalty to equalize after being brought down by Barcelona captain Carles Puyol, who was sent off. But Fabregas was cautioned earlier in the match and he will be suspended for the second leg.

"We were lucky because they had early chances and we gave them too much room to play," Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said. "But if you have no mental strength, you can go down by five.

"We were lucky to be 0-0 at halftime."

Barcelona pounced all over Arsenal throughout the first half at Emirates Stadium and the Gunners were very lucky to go into halftime with the score 0-0. Brilliant goalkeeping by Manuel Almunia and key blocks from defenders kept the first-leg match from being all over by the 15th minute.

Arsenal's luck ended around 30 seconds after the restart when Zlatan Ibrahimovic latched onto a long ball punted downfield by Gerard Pique and lifted it over Almunia.

Ibrahimovic, who atoned for earlier misses, scored his second in the 59th minute when he beat the offside trap. He was unmarked when he blasted the ball past Almunia from the right.

Theo Walcott pulled a goal back for Arsenal three minutes after going on as a substitute when he struck a low shot past Victor Valdes from the right after a pass from Nicklas Bendtner in the 69th.

"It was a fantastic game for the neutral and to be involved in it tonight was great," Walcott said. "I always knew if I could get on I could show what I could do."

The result sets up a tantalizing second leg at Camp Nou on April 6.

"If we had been so much better, we would have won 5-2," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "We were better in certain aspects of the game but we need to be precise and good at the back. We've given a good image of how football should be played.

"I am happy and proud of my team but only teams who can go all the way in this competition will get the glory."

Arsenal continued to pile pressure on in the latter stages and it paid off when Fabregas was brought down by Puyol in the 84th.

Fabregas, who had passed a late fitness test after picking up a leg injury on Saturday, appeared to sustain another knock and he limped around during the final minutes.

Barcelona exerted a brutal display of attacking football in the first half and Arsenal appeared to be in shock and completely outmatched.

The visitors had five clear chances in the first nine minutes and two of them in the first 70 seconds. Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen slid in at the last moment in front of goal to cut out a low cross from Ibrahimovic in the first minute. A shot by Sergio Busquets was parried away seconds later by Almunia.

Lionel Messi cut past several Arsenal players and his shot from the edge of the area was blocked by Almunia's feet to momentary safety in the sixth minute. Ibrahimovic scuffed a shot over the bar moments later. The striker then made a blazing run from about the halfway line down the right, but blasted his shot into the side netting.

Almunia made three more spectacular saves from shots in front of goal from Xavi Hernandez and Ibrahimovic, in addition to blocks from Alex Song and Vermaelen to deny Messi twice, Hernandez, Ibrahimovic and Daniel Alves in the space of one minute around the 15th.

Pedro Rodriguez nearly scored from inside the area on the left but Bacary Sagna headed the ball over the goal and out for a corner. Barcelona had around 75 percent possession in the first 20 minutes.

Arsenal's first chance came in the 23rd when Samir Nasri cut the ball onto his right foot for his shot from the left to go just wide of the far post. Arsenal's second opportunity came in the 35th when Bendtner's cross from the right found Abou Diaby but he couldn't direct his header.

Bendtner then drew a save and hit a post but he had already been flagged offside.

Andrei Arshavin came off with an injury in the 27th and William Gallas had to be carried off in the 42nd after holding his leg. It was Gallas' first game since being sidelined with a calf injury on Feb. 10.

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry made a late cameo appearance to a standing ovation from the home fans.

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