What is it with referees and Arsenal these days? Ever since Moyes made his unsubstantiated allegations on Fabregas, we have been subject to some appalling decisions from the officials.
At Newcastle, the ref gave two no-existent penalties and fail to give a red card for a shove on our keeper. On Saturday, the ref refuses us a good goal and a definite penalty. Those four very precious points lost has prevented us from being top of the league right now (with a game in hand).
I am not denying that we took a right hammering yesterday. I cannot recall a more abject performance by Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. We had zero shot, got a goal from an own goal and had 24% possession compared to Barcelona´s 76%.
But it is easy to forget it was 1-1 and we had just equalised when van Persie was harshly sent off. Morons at the BBC or Sky said it did not change the game but what do you think of the outcome had van Persie been in the same position as Bendtner when put through by Wilshere?
It was a very poor display but how many times have we seen clubs play poorly against us and still get something ? The last thing you do need in big games is a ref who was more than happy to oblige to any pressure from the Barcelona players and fans. Even the first yellow of van Persie was harsh, while the second one was a total joke.
The penalty was also very soft and it came just two minutes after Barcelona had taken the lead. All these events ( us equalising, the red card, the second goal and the penalty) happened in a mad spell of 18 mins.
It does not excuse the fact that our tactics were completely wrong from the start. Arsene seems to have told the lads to defend the meagre one goal lead , but we know that we just do not have the players to do that. This is not George Graham´s Arsenal which could just sit back and let the opposition to have all the possession in the world while we run the clock down.
If we wanted to be so defensive, we might have as well put Gibbs and Eboue on the wings with Denilson in the middle to protect the back four.
We were not also helped with our two best players (Fabregas and van Persie) being unfit. Nasri was also a disappointment and yes the way we could not keep possession was just embarassing.
You need to be at your very best to play Barcelona but we were just awful.
Add shambolic refereeing to that and we simply did not stand a chance.
