This had the feeling of a freakish result, a victory for never-say-die attitude against all the odds, yet fortune can favour the brave. Arsène Wenger might have been scarred by Barcelona's first-half incision but rather than fretting about his squarish defence, his philosophy was less "How do we stop them?" and more "How do we hurt them?"
His substitutions were positive, whereas Pep Guardiola's replacement of David Villa with Seydou Keita was far more cautious.
The occasion went with the mood. Perhaps it was the only way Wenger could react to the runaround inflicted before the interval.
Barcelona's quick, short-passing game had enticed Alex Song, Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fábregas towards the ball to challenge, only for the visitors to move it on in a trice before any of the home side's midfield could intercept. Barça had been conjurers – now you see it, now you don't – with Lionel Messi their magician-in-chief.
Messi’s movement after passing was lethal as he combined with Iniesta and put Villa through. Arsenal stunted the Argentinian’s impact after the interval Arsenal were too high defensively in the first period and the Spanish side squeezed the ball through the gaps at will.
So dominant had the visitors been that Wenger might have been forgiven for considering the employment of a five-man defence after the interval to cover the defensive width of the pitch, with his three central midfielders protecting in front.
That would at least have suffocated the space that had been exploited so ruthlessly up to then, even if the flipside would have been to have left Robin van Persie too isolated up front to force parity.
Instead, Wenger was bold. His side's passing was speedier in the second period, their desire to surge forward more pronounced.
Introducing Andrey Arshavin and, later, Nicklas Bendtner while retaining Samir Nasri ensured there were more passing opportunities for Fábregas and Wilshere to pick out, with the pair emerging more strongly into the contest, and Barça became more becalmed.
Perhaps the visitors had subconsciously taken their foot off the gas. Maybe they were physically unable to maintain their intense pressure of the first half. But they certainly gasped for a while and coupled with Arsenal's suddenly upbeat tempo, the home side were ruthless where the visitors had been so profligate earlier in the piece.
Messi, so sharp and incisive in the first period, rather ran into trouble, over-playing and trying to run with the ball too often where, previously, he had been happiest in his one-touch combination play with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta at his side.
He was outnumbered and crowded out at times so with Arsenal closer together at the back and narrower across the pitch, the spaces in which he had initially flourished were finally snuffed out.
The result should not blind us about some of the wonderful pass-and-move moments provided by the visitors, but Arsenal enjoyed reward for being bold.
Source: David Pleat, The Guardian on 17 Feb 11
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