Can Arsenal still be Champions?

This has been tipped as the year that Arsenal will regain the Premier League trophy after that famous victory in 2004 that belonged to 'The Invincibles'. 

Don't get me wrong, most years that Arsenal show a good fight between around November to February is a year that gets fan in the footballing world excited for them. For the past three or four seasons, there have been huge shouts that it is once again going to be Arsenal's year. 

This year, the cries seemed stronger than ever. Leicester were obviously sitting comfortably at the top of the table (much to the shock of pretty much everyone, but it's definitely well-deserved) but Arsenal gave them a reason to keep checking over their shoulders. 

In the last round of Premier League matches, Arsenal was the team that was written all over the back pages.

They faced Leicester at the Emirates and after going behind to a Jamie Vardy goal just before half time, it looked like the league leaders would have the better of the match, but it didn't quite work out that way as they pulled a goal back through Theo Walcott. 

The plaudits were shown to Danny Welbeck though who was brought on towards the end of the match after coming back from injury and sealing the game for his team when he scored an injury time goal to win the three points. 

In the past week though, all this work seems to have been flipped on its head in a way. After rallying together and being rewarded with so many good results, Arsenal have struggled in the past week. 

It started with their FA Cup tie against Hull City at the Emirates. This is the third time the teams have met in the same amount of seasons in the competition, and Hull have never just sat back and made things easy for Arsenal.

Arsenal players with heads in hands as they fail to score against Hull
Image from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/12165715/Arsenal-vs-Hull-City-FA-Cup-fifth-round-live.html

Hull made things difficult for Arsenal though and Eldin Jakupovic had an excellent game which included a lot of important saves that denied Arsenal and kept the score at 0-0. Now, the Gunners have added another fixture to their already hectic calendar and many people are saying this is a game that they should have won. So why didn't they?

In this case, I think Arsene Wenger may have underestimated Hull slightly. He will most likely have had one eye on the Barcelona game on Tuesday so he rested some of the big names in his squad in preparation for this. 

As holders of the FA Cup for the second time in two seasons though, that should mean this competition is still a big priority for Arsenal. If this is the case, then it does beg the questions: why didn't Wenger send a full-strength team out onto the pitch that day? I guess only he'll know...

Like I mentioned earlier though, he did have that very high profile game against Barcelona just around the corner and who wouldn't want to make sure that their main players are ready for that when they'll be facing a player like Lionel Messi. 

I'm not sure how many people expected Arsenal to be able to go out and put on a brilliant show that made Barcelona look like amateurs, but I do know that some people did think Arsenal might just be able to edge the game due to their talent, which isn't too surprising. 

The first half of that game did belong to Arsenal. The home team did brilliantly to keep Barcelona quiet and create some dangerous chances, which if they'd taken, would mean the game could have taken a very different turn. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has a brilliant chance against Barcelona
Image from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/12170664/Arsenal-vs-Barcelona-Champions-League-TV-live.html

It didn't quite happen that way though and Messi pulled some magic out of the bag for the Barcelona for the first goal and Mathieu Flamini made a mistake to give away the penalty that gave Messi his second goal. 

Could it have been the pressure of the 0-0 draw from the FA Cup tie playing on Arsenal's mind during this game? Or are they may be losing their touch after such a strong display in the league over the past few months?

This was an important week for Arsenal and the results they had had weren't exactly morale boosting as they went into their game against big rivals Manchester United. 

Arsenal were the big favourites to win this game due to their league position and the fact that they brushed aside United 3-0 earlier in the season, but it didn't quite turn out the same way for them yesterday. 

United's teenage debutant Marcus Rashford made a name for himself on the big stage as he beat Petr Cech twice in the first half an hour, but that didn't stop Arsenal from clawing a goal back just before half time through United old-boy Welbeck.

Welbeck's header pulls a goal back for Arsenal just before half time
Image from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3467383/Manchester-United-vs-Arsenal-English-Premier-League-LIVE-score-Plus-Tottenham-vs-Swansea-Premier-League-action.html

They just couldn't do enough though to win the game. A goal from Ander Herrera, which took a horrible deflection off Laurent Koscielny, took the game out of the visitor's grasp even though Mesut Ozil did manage to pull another goal back. 

So, what's the excuse for this one? Both teams played well in the game, but Arsenal had a nearly full-strength team compared to United's injury hit squad which included a lot of young players. 

There's still time in the season for Arsenal to get their rhythm back and put together a brilliant run that could knock Leicester off the top and lead to them lifting the trophy in May, but if performances and results like this week keep pulling them back, it might prove to be a very hard task. 

If you work out the maths behind the table, then it is very possible for them to be in the position that so many predicted, but that's not taking into account the solidity of both Leicester and Spurs at the moment. 

Arsenal didn't sign any outfield players this season, and this could prove to be the thing that costs them the most because they didn't add any more depth to the squad.

Looking to the end of the season, if Arsenal fail to win the league, this might just be Wenger's last chance at the club. For such a long time now, he has guided Arsenal to a top four finish, but that's not going to be enough anymore.

Maybe Arsenal can still be champions, but it might just take a horrible mistake from Leicester and Spurs for that to happen if they're going to let that slip now...

MATCH REPORT: Champions League Final

This is the night that truly rounds off the football season. There have been many ups and downs for a lot of teams in the competition, but I'm sure many people would agree the best two throughout the competition got what they deserved by getting to Berlin. In their journey to get here, Barcelona have beaten the English champions, the French champions and the German champions on their run to the final and were now faced with the Italian champions. Juventus may the underdogs in the game, but it is worth remembering that they beat Real Madrid over the two legs of the semi-final to be in Berlin so they could prove to be good competition for Barca. Also, both teams have the dream of the treble on their minds, but only one can accomplish it. 

By the fourth minute, Barcelona proved why they were the force to be reckoned with throughout the season, on their first challenge as they moved forward. It was a typical Barcelona goal as Neymar got the ball on the left side of the area and quickly laid it off to Andres Iniesta. As he was being closed down by the defenders around him, he made an even quicker lay off to Ivan Rakitic who took his goal so calmly and made it look extremely easy as he converted it. Gianluigi Buffon had absolutely no chance of getting to the ball as he was left scrambling across his line due to misjudging what Iniesta was going to do. 

This didn't dim the Juventus spirit in any way. Not even 5 minutes after the Barcelona goal, Alvaro Morata made a lung bursting run down the wing, and Javier Mascherano couldn't keep up with him, which allowed Morata to put a good ball into the box. He found Arturo Vidal, who leaned back as he took the shot which caused the ball to fly high over the crossbar, but it was still an attempt from Juve and it also proved to Barca that they were still ready to give them a good competition. 

Up at the other end of the field, Lionel Messi was performing his usual magic and he made a really clever diagonal pass across to Neymar who was ready to make a run from the edge of the six yard box. As he tried to bring the ball down closer to the goal, he slipped which caused him to lose sight of the ball, meaning that the chance went to waste. Buffon was also called into action once again and made a brilliant reflex save with his arm to prevent Barca from doubling their lead. The save that he made didn't go off the pitch, but the defenders cleared their lines before Barca had another chance to put the ball into the box. 

Both teams had a few half chances following this, but most of them resulted in the box flying high over the crossbar, or just not causing the keepers any problems at all. Just before half time, Barca game forward with a lot more threat and looked like they could find the second breakthrough of the match. First chance came after Luis Suarez turned his defender and was allowed to run with the ball, and he took on the low diagonal shot to the far corner of the goal, but the ball was just inches wide of the post. One minute later, a pass to Neymar was cut out as the defender blocked off the player, but he could only deflect the ball into the path of Suarez who curled the ball upward, which caused Buffon to get his hand up well and tip the ball over the crossbar. The third chance just before half time was created after a Buffon mistake. The goalkeeper tried to pass the ball out to his left back, but it was extremely poor, and Neymar quickly intercepted it. His final ball into the box was too high and it skimmed across the head of Suarez, meaning the gifted opportunity went to waste. 

The second half began in the same way that the first one had ended; Barcelona were pressing forward and creating good chances for themselves. Juve even managed to play a part in what could have been their own downfall. From a Juve corner early in the half, Suarez cleared the ball to Neymar, who nodded it onto Rakitic. He led the counter attack which looked promising for Barca as they were left with five of their players against two. As they neared the box, Rakitic touched the ball into the path of Suarez who was on his left, and he tried to curl it into the back of the net using his right foot. Buffon got across well though to turn the ball behind for a corner. Then two minutes later, Barca put on a show with some beautiful build up play. Messi was allowed to play a one-two off both Neymar and Suarez before he took the shot, which was just off target. In truth, the build-up really deserved a goal. 

On the 55th minute, Barca were made to rue the chances they had missed both at the end of the first half and at the beginning of this one. Juve built up the pressure on the Barca goal and the first big chance fell to Carlos Tevez who took his shot on the turn, but Marc Andre ter Stegen got down well to turn the ball away from the net. However, he couldn't get the ball out of the danger area and it landed at the feet of Morata, who was left with practically an empty goal to aim at as ter Stegen scrambled back across his line. Morata calmly turned the ball into the back of the net to level the score line. 

This goal left all of the momentum with Juve and they certainly looked the more dangerous when they reached the final third. The chances they created weren't clear cut ones, but they were putting more pressure onto the opposition goal than Barca were. Just like Barca earlier in the second half, Juve would come to regret the chance they didn't take. Messi made a run from the halfway line and gets away from each one of the defenders that close him down. When he reached the outside of the box, he took on the shot, which Buffon saves, but the ball is deflected into the path of Suarez who calmly turns the ball into the back of the net and gives the keeper no chance of stopping it. 

Barcelona have the ball in the back of the net again moments later, but this one is disallowed. Jordi Alba turned and chipped his cross towards Neymar in the centre of the box. Neymar headed the ball down into the ground, but as it goes down, the ball none deliberately hit his hand, which was close to his body, and bobbled past Buffon and over the line. The Juventus players immediately swarmed the referee and the goal was disallowed quickly. In real time, it is possible that the faint glance that it took off Neymar's head wasn't seen by the officials, but even if they did, it didn't make an effect on their decision. 

As the second half came to a close, Juve suddenly regained their momentum and were pushing towards the Barca goal again, knowing they needed an equaliser to take the game to extra time. Claudio Marchisio had a chance from outside of the box, which he directed on target, but ter Stegen took up a good position and was able to get down low to turn the ball past his near post. Tevez also had a chance to level the score, but he aimed his shot directly at ter Stegen who held onto the ball. If he had directed the ball either side of the keeper, it is possible that he could have taken Juve to extra time. 

In the last minute of added time in the game, Barca confirmed their victory and shattered the hearts of the many Juve supporters around the world. From a Juventus free kick, Gerard Pique cleared his lines with a great header which fell to Messi, who reacted very quickly to chip the ball past the defender who was skin tight to him. Neymar latched onto this pass and was left one on one with the defender before his team mates arrived in support. After a few cute passes between the Barcelona attacking line, the ball was back at Neymar's feet and he directed his low diagonal shot into the bottom far corner of the net, giving Buffon no chance of saving it. 

So Barcelona confirmed their treble trophy win with the last kick of the game in Berlin. It is also worth remembering that Xavi ended his season in style as he leaves Barcelona behind him, while it was the opposite feeling for Andrea Pirlo who could possibly have played his last game in a Juventus shirt. Both teams put on a show, and proved why only the best teams deserve to be in the Champions League final.

MATCH REPORT: Bayern Munich vs Barcelona [Champions League]

After the first match in the tie, hopes of playing the final in Berlin for Bayern Munich already looked to be dead and buried due to some wonderful goals from Lionel Messi and Neymar, plus the fact that Barcelona looked strong in the home game, and proved that by coming out of it 3-0 winners against their old manager. However, even those who thought that it was over knew that Bayern Munich would not go down without a good fight. And what a fight it was... 

It didn't take Barcelona long to settle into this game either. The first chance fell to Ivan Rakitic in the first five minutes and he made a good run into the right side of the box which took him away from three Bayern defenders. He tried to make it difficult for the keeper by cutting the ball across to the bottom left corner, but Manuel Neuer got down well to palm the ball away. It wasn't long before Bayern turned it all on its head though.  Minutes after the Rakitic chance, Bayern won a corner that proved to be costly. The ball is swung in and Medhi Benatia was unmarked and got up well to knock his header cleanly into the back of the net at the near post, which Barcelona had chosen not to cover. 

This seemed to be the turning point of Bayern's confidence in the game. Their defending became stronger and they snuffed out any attempts that Barcelona created in the early moments of the game. Bastian Schweinsteiger took on a long range shot in the hopes of catching Marc-Andre ter Stegen out as he was off his line but it went high and wide of the target. However, even chances like this could prove to be big against a team like Barcelona.  

This proved to be true as only a minute after this, Barcelona were up at the other end and scoring the crucial away goal. Messi played a nice through ball up field to Luis Suarez from midfield. He kept running and unselfishly squared the ball across to Neymar when he got into box and Neuer began closing him down. This left Neymar with an empty net to turn the ball into and add another blow to the Bayern team. 

This didn't stop Bayern from playing the way they had planned though. Their build up play remained strong and was quick as they pushed forward to try and regain the lead they had earned so early on. Philipp Lahm put in a good cross from outside the box that looped past the Barcelona defence and was met well by Thomas Muller. His looping header was directed towards the top left corner but ter Stegen got across well to palm the ball away. Not long after, Muller are a run into the box after taking on a number of Barcelona defenders and winning the ball. Just outside the box, he slipped the ball into Robert Lewandowski who pokes the ball towards the centre of the goal where ter Stegen was waiting to save the ball.

Once again, Barcelona weren't ready to just sit around while their defence did all the work. Neymar was allowed a lot of space down the left and he darted into the box to square the box across to Messi, who was surrounded by three Bayern defenders, but he still managed to direct his shot on target, and Neuer saved it comfortably. Neymar did add another goal to his tally moments after this chance. Barcelona cleared from a defensive position and Messi got up well to flick a header behind him to find Suarez, who wasn't challenged as he charged towards the Bayern penalty area. Once again, he unselfishly crossed the ball across to Neymar who chested the ball down and struck the ball low at Neuer's near post. The keeper did get his fingertips to the ball but not enough to stop the goal. Bayern were behind and had an even bigger mountain to climb due to the away goals. 

It was Lewandowski that got the final chance of the half though and he took the shot sweetly on the half volley and put a lot of pace behind the shot which caused ter Stegen some problems. The goalkeeper did get his hand to the shot and managed to take a lot of the pace off the shot even though he was diving in the opposite direction. He didn't stop the shot though, and he did well to get up and get back to claw the ball off the goal line to deny him. That was the last chance Bayern had for a while in the game as Barcelona pressed him in the second half and wouldn't allow them to play out like they wanted to. 

Towards the hour mark, Bayern got back into their rhythm and began to prove a bit too much to handle for the Barcelona defence. From a Bayern throw in, Pedro wasn't bleeding to clear the ball cleanly, meaning the ball deflected into the path of Juan Bernat. He pushed the ball forwards slightly to create a better angle for himself, but ended up aiming it just wide of the post. This only seemed to raise their confidence. 

On the hour mark, Lewandowski finally got what he had been looking for throughout the match. Xabi Alonso did well to win the ball back around the halfway line, before Lewandowski used his skill to work his way past Javier Mascherano after shifting the ball between his feet and wrong footed the keeper as he fired the ball into the net at the far post. Moments after, Alonso did well once again, this time he managed to lay the ball off to Muller who directed his shot just wide of the target. 

Muller was another player that had been chasing a goal in the tie and he again got what his play deserved. He had tried to be unselfish by slipping in Lewandowski, but the pass was deflected when the defender stuck out a leg. The ball kindly deflected back into the path of Muller who took on the shot first time and he powered the ball towards goal. Ter Stegen looked to have it covered but it took a slight deflection as it went through the legs of Mascherano which took it just out of the reach of ter Stegen. 

Bayern still had a long way to go before they could be in the final and they looked up for the challenge. Messi lost the ball which gifted Lewandowski with another chance at goal. He shifted the ball onto his other foot, but Gerard Pique was in the right place to deflect the ball past the post. And then, they lost their momentum. Possibly, due to the fast pace in which they started the game, they just couldn't keep it going for the whole 90 minutes to give them a chance of progressing to the final. 

Barcelona finished the chances of the game deep into added time when Neymar found himself in a one on one situation with the goalkeeper. On his hat trick, the Brazilian unselfishly looked across goal to find Messi making a run to the far post. There was too much pace on the ball though, and the chance came to nothing. 

This means that it will be Barcelona playing the final in Berlin on the 6th of June after already dumping out the English champions, the French champions and the German champions. This either leaves them with the Italian champions or the current holders as their final competition. This game, however, was one that will leave Pep Guardiola wondering how he failed to get his team up and running in the first tie as that proved to be very costly in the semi final. 

MATCH REPORT: Barcelona vs Bayern Munich [Champions League]

The night after Cristiano Ronaldo overtook Lionel Messi in the goal tally for not only this season's Champions League, but for the all time top scorer, before seeing his team lose, it was the turn of two of the big boys in Europe. Barcelona and Bayern Munich have met previously in the knock out round of the Champions League not long ago, but those ties didn't end too well for the Spanish team when they took a heaving beating. Bayern were without their top players in the shape of Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery though, while Barca were at full strength which meant it could be a night to remember for either team. 

It was a first half that was dominated by Barcelona as Bayern played a man marking tactic that allowed the front three players a lot of space on the ball close to their box. It didn't even take 5 minutes for Barca to cause Bayern a problem when a ball was slipped through to Luis Suarez and he was left one on one with the keeper. Jerome Boateng was coming back on the cover and he tried to pull Suarez back by putting his left hand on his shoulder, but Manuel Neuer would have reached the ball anyway meaning the referee didn't give a second thought to not giving the penalty. 

Messi played a big part in helping Barca register their first attempts on goal at the beginning of the first half, starting when he held up the ball as he waited for Neymar to join him. He had his back to goal and played a short pass in front of Neymar who got a clear shot on goal after he took the ball away from the defender, but his shot was aimed straight at Neuer. Five minutes later, the Bayern defence was left wide open again. Messi brought down a header into the path of Suarez who was left in acres of space when the flag didn't go up. He was left one on one with the keeper as the defenders couldn't get back in time, but Neuer got down well to save the shot with his right foot.

The rest of the half was all Barcelona. Messi was showing off his brilliance all over the pitch and he weaved his way around three Bayern players to get himself into the box and from the far right side of the box, he tried to curl an effort towards goal, which could possibly have been a cross, but it went wide of the far post. Sergio Busquets followed not long later when he played a beautiful ball up field to Alba who crossed the ball in with his first touch. If Boateng hadn't been there to make the block, it could easily have been an opening goal for the home side. The corner that followed this was met well by Suarez who got up above his defender. He powered his header in the direction of the ball, but it flew just over the crossbar. 

Just before the half time whistle, Barcelona won a free kick which Messi took from the edge of the box. He curled the effort towards Neuer's near post, but the keeper got across easily to catch the shot. Andres Iniesta opened up the Bayern defence moments later when he chipped the ball over the top of them to find Dani Alves who was running onto the ball. He had to stretch to reach the ball, but he still managed to direct his shot on target. Neuer, once again, had taken up a good starting position to stop the ball from going into the net. 

Both teams made a bright start to the second half but neither created any clear cut chances that would open the scoring in the tie. They were compact and passing the ball around well when they had time in possession. It was Barca who created the first chance of the second half near the hour mark when Neymar turned his back to goal to play a short ball to Messi who was running onto the pass. He took the shot sweetly and put some pace behind it, but again, the shot was straight down the middle at Neuer. 

Bayern looked to be struggling defensively at some points in the second half and it was shown when they struggled to get a simple ball clear which allowed Barcelona to keep pressing them high and cause more problems. Ivan Rakitic chased the ball down and eventually won it from the Bayern player and he widened the play by passing to Neymar who was on the left. He tried to curl his shot into the top right corner, but he didn't get his angles right and it was high and wide of the target. 

The away side could only register one attempt of any importance in the second half and that was started when Thiago was found on the edge of the 18 yard box. He took the shot first time, but it wasn't the most powerful of shots which meant that the deflection off Iniesta took a lot of pace off the ball. It did almost wrong foot Marc-Andre ter Stegen though, but he managed to get across to hold the ball. 

It took some brilliance to break down the Bayern defence, and there would be only one player that could open the scoring with such quality. Neymar had a weak penalty appeal moments before which the referee waved away and Alves was quickest to win back the ball for the home side from Xabi Alonso where he passed the ball across to Messi. He pulled the ball back before powering the ball into the back of the net on Neuer's near side, leaving the keeper no chance of getting close to the shot. It was a goal that had the Barcelona fans bowing down to their main man and one that put him level on Champions League goals with Ronaldo once again. 

Only three minutes later, Messi had scored again. He weaved his way through Boateng, leaving the defender on the floor, and from the right side of the six yard box he chipped the ball over Neuer who stayed standing. The keeper brought his hand up to try and get something to the ball, but it was already over his head and bouncing into the far bottom corner and away from the covering defender. Two touches of class may have taken the game away from Bayern Munich before they even get into the second tie. 

It wasn't over yet though as Neymar, in particular, kept pushing forward and causing a lot of problems for the opposition's defence. He slipped the ball past four Bayern defenders to reach Suarez, but the ball was played slightly behind him which stopped him in his tracks slightly, but his shot ended high over the cross bar. This was followed by some Bayern pressure. The second goal to wake them up, but the chances they created just weren't getting close to goal or causing any problems for any of the Barcelona players. They hadn't had the best game and it seemed that they were starting to regret that at this point in the game.

Suarez had another chance a few minutes last when he won the ball back after a poor clearing header from the Bayern defence. He ran at the defence from the right side and chose to square the ball across to Neymar instead of taking the shot himself. Neymar did get to the ball first, but slipped as he took the shot. He still managed to direct the shot towards the target, but Rafinha was in the right place to turn the ball out for a corner. 

It took Bayern just under 20 minutes to even get close to the Barcelona goal. Thomas Muller had the strength to beat Jordi Alba and he created space down the right side to cross a low ball across the box which met Robert Lewandowski who was left unmarked in the middle as he tried to turn the ball towards the target, but his shot was off target. That was only the first of two attempts that Bayern had in the first half; the other half chance came on the half hour mark. Thiago tried to curl the ball across the box from the left to find Bastian Schweinsteiger, but the pass wasn't the greatest and it curled wide of the far post without Schweinsteiger getting any type of touch on it. 

In the final minute of added time, Neymar rounded it all off for Barcelona. Most of the Bayern players had pushed forward, leaving a lot of space in behind for the Barca players to counter attack in. Suarez got fouled during the counter attack, but he still managed to get the ball to Messi's feet, allowing the referee to play a great advantage. Messi played in Neymar straight away and he had no defenders around him which allowed him to put himself in a one on one situation with the goalkeeper. He kept his cool and calmly slotted the ball past Neuer and into the back of the net.

A 3-0 lead could prove to be a difficult one for Bayern to turn around considering how well Barcelona played in the first tie, but if they do plan on making it to the final, then they'll need a better game plan. Pep Guardiola's tactics obviously didn't work in the way that he'd hoped against his old side, but one thing is for sure, he'll need to find some way of stopping Lionel Messi, who has once again broken Ronaldo's records just one day later. It has all been set up nicely for a second tie in the Allianz arena...

MATCH REPORT: Barcelona vs Manchester City [Champions League]

After the first leg, it looked like Manchester City had a huge mountain to climb, based more off the performance than the actual score line. Barcelona won 2-1 at the Etihad stadium, leaving City with the task of scoring 2 goals to take them through to the quarter finals of the competition, all the while keeping the front three of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez out. Joe Hart had given his team a lifeline at the end of the first leg with a save from Messi's penalty, but would it count in this leg?

City did start brightly and were pushing forward to try and nick the ball from their opponents so that they could push forwards. However, the first chance of the game did fall to Neymar. Vincent Kompany lost the ball on the edge of the box to Dani Alves and played in Neymar, whose shot bounced off the near post and rolled along the goal line before going wide of the near post, leaving many people wondering how it didn't go in.

City didn't sit back and let Barcelona play though. Sergio Aguero got the first chance for City after he was allowed time and space on the ball and his shot eventually hit Alves before going out for a corner. The next attack was pure class from Barcelona. The players passed it among themselves with ease and the City players couldn't get close to the ball no matter how hard they tried, before Messi and Andres Iniesta played a great one-two in the box, but Messi's shot was saved by the legs of Hart. 

Yaya Toure powered through the Barcelona players to get the ball into the box and onto the feet of Milner. His shot was stopped by Alves, who was off balance, but just managed to time his tackle right to prevent a possible goal. Down the other end, Messi won a free kick moments later and his shot was curling up towards the top corner, but much to Hart's relief it landed on top of the net instead of nestling inside of it. Ten minutes later, Messi was presented with a similar chance from another free kick. So similar in fact that it landed in practically the same place on top of the net as the last one had. 

The game was shaping up to be a tight contest, and just after the half hour mark, Ivan Rakitic managed to give the hosts some breathing space over their opposition. Messi played a beautiful ball into the box from the right wing which took out the City defenders, and Rakitic, whose run was timed perfectly, chested the ball down and gracefully chipped the ball over the head of Hart and into the back of the net. 

The rest of the first half was all about Barcelona. From a corner in the build-up to half time, Suarez was allowed into a lot of space in the box, but he could only direct his free header off target. Three minutes later, Suarez was allowed a lot of space again from Kompany and Martin Demichelis. Hart came running out of his goal to try and stop the shot, but Suarez chipped the ball over the keeper. The defender running back couldn't catch up to the ball and people supporting City let out a collective sigh of relief as the ball bounced off the far post and out for a goal kick.

City came out for the second half, knowing that they still needed at least two goals to stand a chance of getting past the tie, but they just couldn't get a foot to the ball to try and make this happen. Iniesta had the first chance of the second half on 46 minutes with a powerful shot from outside the box which Hart palmed away before eventually keeping it in his grasp. Jordi Alba had a chance shortly after from close range, which Hart closed down and deflected out towards Messi. Messi's shot looked like it could go in, but Hart got back across the goal in time to palm the shot away. 

In the 57th minute, the Barcelona play became quite risky as Marc-Andre ter Stegen is taken outside his box after a heavy touch, however, he isn't quick enough to clear it and Aguero dispossessed him. They couldn't capitalise on this though and Gerard Pique is in the right place to clear the deflected cross. City got the chance to counter attack through David Silva and Aguero and the play looked dangerous until Aguero got the cross into the box and the ball is cleared without much hassle. 

The next period of play was literal end to end play. Barcelona finally got another chance in front of goal, through Suarez who tried to cut the ball across goal but could only fire the ball into the near side netting. Jesus Navas pushed the ball forward and travelled with the ball until he reached the right side of the six yard box but didn't take on the shot, instead he tried to cut the ball back but there were no City players to get on the end of it and the ball is cleared. Neymar lead the Barcelona counter attack and played in Messi who had lost both of the defenders alongside him. His first touch took him too close to Hart who directed him away from goal and took away the chance. The corner that followed landed at the feet of Messi once again, but Hart once again was ready for the chance and swept the ball away from his feet to make sure nothing could follow. 

Messi was once again orchestrated a Barcelona chance as he played the ball into the box to Neymar, who managed to get a touch to the ball but couldn't direct it past Hart. Alba stepped up to collect the follow-up and placed the ball into the back of the net but the flag rightly went up denying Barcelona a second goal of the game. Neymar did have another chance minutes later as he was slipped in behind the City defence. He was left one-on-one with Hart who did well to save the shot. 

The 78th minute could have proved to be the turning point of the tie for City. Aguero was running into the box, but ran into trouble in the shape of Pique and Javier Mascherano. Mascherano did catch Aguero meaning that the referee made the right choice in giving them the penalty. Aguero steeped up to take the penalty and aimed the ball to the right of the keeper and ter Stegen was lucky it was at the perfect height for him to palm the ball away. Although, it did turn the tie into the tale of two missed penalties: Messi in the first tie and Aguero in the second. If the ball had hit the back of the net then the last ten minutes could have been completely different.

Neymar had another chance to score a goal after he was left one-on-one with Hart once again, but Hart was confident throughout the match and came out from his goal line to take the ball off the feet of the Barcelona forward. Suarez had a couple of chances in quick succession, the first of which was aimed across goal which Hart saved, but could only send the ball towards Messi whose chance was blocked by the defenders. Suarez got to the ball first following that chance and could only direct his ball onto the crossbar, but was rightly judged to have come back from an offside position. 

In the final moments of the match, Neymar crossed the ball from the left side of the six yard box after leading a counter attack which Barcelona looked to be the stronger team during. He played the ball to Messi and Hart got across goal to smother the final shot. The game finished how it started with a chance from Neymar, this time his shot was aimed straight at Hart who pushed the ball out to ultimately finish the game. 

It could have been a lot worse for City during the tie if it wasn't for their keeper. Hart managed to tally up a total of 10 saves in the match at the Nou Camp alone, saving his team the embarrassment of a goal fest during the match. It does still look like City have a lot of work to do before they will go past this round in Europe, with their play looking laboured at times and they were a team that looked like they lack self-belief. However, take nothing away from Barcelona, as once again they showed what a beautiful game football can be. 

MATCH REPORT: Manchester City vs Barcelona [Champions League]

One of the last 16 Champions League ties being played on Tuesday night was the match between Manchester City and Barcelona. City made it to this part of the Champions League for the first time last year and played against the same opponents they saw themselves in this match. City were without one of their most influential players in Yaya Toure, and as Barcelona are slowly reaching their best again, it looked like it could be a long night for the English champions.

The game started with Barcelona having a lot of early possession but nothing much came of it. A few long balls were drifted in towards the City goal but Joe Hart was there to collect it without much difficulty. The first real chance of the game came from City though when James Milner set up Edin Dzeko on the volley, but the shot is blocked meaning the ball is given back to the visitors. City kept up the pressure on their opponents after Sergio Aguero is fouled in a dangerous position by Javier Mascherano. The free kick from Milner is taken low which the wall easily pushed away.

The pressure from City didn't last long though and soon Barcelona were on the attack and playing their usual possession game. Luis Suarez tried to get the ball into Neymar in the box, but the ball was cleared back to him; the resulting shot could only hit the side netting. It didn't take long for him to get onto the score sheet though. 16 minutes into the game and Suarez had put Barcelona into the lead. Lionel Messi got a good cross into the box that proved to be difficult for Vincent Kompany to deal with and his headed clearance only got as far as Suarez who flashed his shot across the face of goal and into the far corner of the net. This proved to be a turning point in the half for both teams; City seemed to drop off after the goal and stopped the pressing that they had been doing since the start allowing Barcelona to play more with the ball.

A lot of good chances in quick succession went to waste in the following moments of the match. Messi in particular pulled off some brilliant skill to lose the defenders swarmed around him, but when the ball came to Suarez, he caught the volley wrong meaning the attack was cut out. Dzeko also had a good chance with a header but it bounces just wide of the post. Rakitic was also good when he came into the attacking moves, but he was caught off side after he sent his header looping up into the air towards Hart. The City defence were caught out by a simple ball played in behind them which Suarez latched onto, but Hart was alert and smothered the shot.

In the end, the pressure proved to be too much for City though. The City defenders look scared to get too close to Messi unless he is in a really dangerous position, but even then, their challenges didn't prove to be enough. He rode through the challenges with some brilliant footwork and control before passing the ball out to Jordi Alba on the left wing. The full back's cross finds Suarez in the box who managed to get his foot onto the ball and turn the ball in off the inside of the far post. The goal summed up just how dominant Barcelona were in the first half; the build up to the goal included a lot of possession without any of the City players really pushing to get the ball off their opponents.

Barcelona came close once again just before half time. Dani Alves got lucky when a clearance rebounded off the City defender and he carried on his run into the box. He was closed down by Pablo Zabaleta but not before he chipped the ball up over the defender and the keeper only to see the ball hit the top of the crossbar. City did finish the half strongly following this after Samir Nasri took on a powerful shot at the Barcelona goal, but it was aimed straight at Marc-André ter Stegen who palmed it away and Aguero couldn't quite pick up the rebound. 

In the second half, Manchester City were a completely different team. They started the half extremely brightly and were pushing towards the goal from the starting whistle. They had a couple of corners at the beginning of the half which lead to Dzeko having a lot of decent chances that went to waste. The first was a header which he could only send wide of the post, followed by a second which was aimed directly at ter Stegen; if the ball had gone a yard to either side of him, City would have had their opening goal in the tie. Aguero followed this with a brilliant chance after he got away from Mascherano, however, he couldn't wrap his foot around the ball and the shot ends just wide of the post. Ter Stegen was perfectly placed to collect a lot of the chances that City had on his goal, like one that Martin Demichelis had following a free kick, but City were certainly knocking on the door now. 

It took until the 69th minute for City to finally be rewarded for their second half performance. Gael Clichy strongly, but fairly, dispossessed Barcelona, knocked on the ball to Fernandinho who found the David Silva on the edge of the box. All it took was a little flick to set the ball into the path of Aguero, who with one touch that took the ball away from the defenders, and powered his shot over ter Stegen and into the back of the net. The dominance in the half was soon taken away from them though. In the 74th minute, Clichy was booked for the second time in the game for a late challenge on Alves, leaving City to play the remaining 15 minutes against a punishing team with 10 men. 

Following the dismissal, Barcelona weren't completely dominant in the game again. They had a few chances to get their third goal, but the final, cutting ball just wasn't there. Alba picked out Messi in the box, but the shot wasn't powerful which allowed Kompany to deflect the shot upwards, but it still took a vital save from Hart to prevent the goal. 

In the final moments of the stoppage time at the end of the game, one small slip of concentration from Zabaleta almost let the game slip away from them. Messi got into the box with the ball before a clumsy tackle from Zabaleta sent him crashing to the ground. In the tie this time last year, it was a penalty from Messi that started the game, so would he be able to finish it off in this game? The answer is, no. He steps up to the spot and aims the ball to Hart's left hand side, but he is equal to it and palms the ball away, straight onto the head of Messi. The header that followed wasn't good enough to finish off the game though and could only bounce wide of the far post. 

Barcelona could still be looking like the stronger team in the tie after securing the two vital away goals in the tie, but City put in a dominant second half display meaning that the second leg at the Nou Camp could be a completely different watch to this game. No matter what though, City need two goals in the next tie to even stand a chance of getting through...

BIG Transfers!

During the January transfer window, it isn't likely that a lot of big names will be signed by big clubs. It has happened (Juan Mata moving from Chelsea to Manchester United last season) but it doesn't happen often.

Already, one of the big transfer stories was Fernando Torres leaving Chelsea for good and going on loan to his boyhood team hoping to restart his career and find his best form again. However, some big news has emerged this transfer window, and high profile names are being thrown around from club to club like you've never seen; from Steven Gerrard, to Lionel Messi, to Victor Valdes, to Gareth Bale and so on. Now, I may be focusing on the Premier League, but a lot of the big gossip has been surrounding that league. For example:

Firstly, Steven Gerrard has announced he's leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. This did shock a lot of people and many fans of the club around the country, and the world, there has been tears. The man has played for the club since he was 8 years old, and credit to him, he's stayed with this club through all of their tough times. So why leave now? This is only my opinion, but he's a legend at the club and adored by millions, so why not stay and try and win the only trophy to ever slip from his grasp (no pun intended...) Anyway, I just don't understand it at all, but it will be a loss to the Premier League when they lose him, and it leaves Liverpool with an ever bigger gap to fill than the one they had with Luis Suarez...

Secondly, there have been so many rumours about Lionel Messi. He's the greatest player in the world (or second best depending on your opinion) so of course people would trade their right arm and leg along with all the money that they could gather to have him on their team. However, the gossip has come from somewhere. Now, this is either because Messi followed Chelsea on his Twitter account or because Sergio Aguero received and favourited a tweet from a fan about a possible transfer to Manchester City for him. Either way, I read earlier today that Manchester City were willing to pay Barcelona £500million for him. £500MILLION! That's a lot of money for a club that's already in trouble over finances to pay. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how that one works out...

Manchester City have also put in a £30million bid for Wilfried Bony of Swansea. The need to increase their fire power is at a high with Aguero and Edin Dzeko out, but there is no move forward with that yet though. Even if Bony does get bought, what if the transfer for Messi does happen? I can't imagine that Bony will just settle for a place on the bench every week. Another interesting transfer to keep your eyes on. 

Manchester United have also been linked with some high profile names. Victor Valdes of course signed an 18-month contract with the club very recently and he doesn't look to be the last player coming in according to media sources. Louis Van Gaal is apparently very interested in trying to bring Gareth Bale to the club this transfer window. It doesn't look very likely, but with Bale not being at his best recently, you never know what could happen. 

Football transfer windows are so interesting, don't you think? It'll be interesting to see what other big names are thrown into the mix next.