Arsenal Vs. Barcelona 2011: Second Half Underway

Robin van Persie passes the ball to Cesc Fabregas and the second half is underway at the Emirates with Arsenal on the ball. Almost immediately, van Persie has a chance to equalise but his run into the Barcelona penalty area was halted by the linesman's raised flag. With all of the offsides Barcelona managed to commit in the first half, it's a bit of a wonder that the assistant on that half of the pitch can still move his arm at all!

Anyway, it's only a temporary respite for the teal-shirted Catalans, as the excellent Jack Wilshere carved open their defence with a brilliant one-two with Cesc Fabregas before slamming a shot straight down Victor Valdez's throats. The England international is still yet to misplace a pass today, completing 25 of 25 in the first half and already adding at least five more to that tally in the first few minutes of the second. Barcelona are still pressing hard for a goal here - they know that they can decide the match, and probably the whole tie, if they can go up 2-0, but if Arsenal peg them back things will suddenly look very different.