Samir Nasri doesn't help much on defence, but there's a reason he's on this Arsenal side. For the first time in ten minutes, Arsenal can break, and Nasri blows through Dani Alves with consumate ease and frees Theo Walcott down the left side. Thus begins a spell of intense Arsenal pressure that saw a series of rather panicky clearances from Barcelona's suddenly nervous defence, highlights by left-back Maxwell 'clearing' a cross straight back to the originator from fully thirty yards away. There's been a corner, more wasted chances to shoot, but, crucially, there's been an Arsenal free kick for a foul that saw Gerard Pique booked.
Arsenal Vs. Barcelona 2011: Gerard Pique Booked, Will Miss Second Leg
Why is this important? Pique was already on a yellow card, a holdover from the group stages, and with this latest booking he’ll be ruled out of the second leg at the Nou Camp in three weeks, leaving Barcelona once again with an under-strength defence. Captain Carlos Puyol may be available by the time the return fixture comes up, but either way the Catalans will be without their first-choice centre half pairing when they next meet up with Arsenal in March.
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