Arsenal's Champions League trip to Barcelona promises to be a symbolic one that will see Arsene Wenger and his team try to emerge with their reputations intact.
"The minimum requirement - or even demand among an increasingly fractured supporter base - is that Arsenal stand united, defiant and proud," says James Olley of the London Evening Standard. "They must play for a manager under mounting pressure. They must prove the bottomless faith he has shown in them thus far is not misplaced. There are only so many times they can let him down before the manager’s judgment is proved irrefutably inaccurate.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Barcelona are threatening to make history while Wenger is depicted as the man whose contribution to football’s tapestry is at an end. Arsenal have to show Wenger tonight and for the rest of the season that he is capable of writing a new chapter."
There would be no shame in losing in the Camp Nou, says Sid Lowe in The Guardian. It is "the way that they play on Wednesday night matters, even if the result is not sufficient".
The game is Wenger's 200th in the Champions League, a competition that "that sustains yet torments him at the same time", says Matt Hughes in The Times. Only former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has taken charge for more.
Yet while Wenger's contemporaries have tasted success in Europe, he seems "doomed to end his career without winning the trophy that Ferguson, [Carlo] Ancelotti and [Jose] Mourinho have lifted seven times between them".
Hughes adds: "Barcelona have played a bigger role than most in continuing this enduring torment. And barring a remarkable turn of events tonight, they will have been responsible for three of Arsenal's past seven exits, as well as beating them in the 2006 final in Paris."
-
5 cracking cartoons about the new Cracker Barrel logoCartoons Artists take on MAGA designs, real issues, and more
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage ratethe explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium earlyTalking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
-
The European Super League: a 90th-minute reprieve?In the Spotlight A European court ruling has potentially breathed new life into the breakaway football league
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictionsfeature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
-
Pros and cons of VAR in footballPros and Cons String of mistakes has put new technology under the microscope
-
Can Arsenal really win the Premier League title?feature How the pundits reacted after the Gunners’ late 3-2 victory over Man Utd
-
Tottenham vs. Arsenal predictions: race for the Premier League top fourfeature Expect a ‘seismic’ north London derby with Champions League qualification on the line
-
€555,237,619: Barcelona deny leaking details of Lionel Messi’s contractfeature Messi scores 650th Barca goal - but salary reports overshadow milestone
-
Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal exile: footballing reasons or political?In Depth German playmaker questions the club’s loyalty after omission from the Premier League squad
