The Gunners' youthful creativity should be rewarded with the trophy Arsene Wenger has been longing to get his hands on. Along with Barcelona, Arsenal play the REAL beautiful game.
'The Gunners have been playing with a maturity far beyond their years this season'
I would love to see either Arsenal or Barcelona win the Champions League.
Both sides represent the stylish side to the game, and Arsenal’s victory at the San Siro was one of the most exhilarating of the season. Who wouldn’t want the kids at Arsenal, on the back of dishing out a sound beating to the elder statesmen of Europe – AC Milan - to go all the way?
Many people in the press predict that Liverpool have too much nous in Europe and that the kindergarten club that is Arsenal will be too green, nervous and young to win – I’m not sure I subscribe to this view. If Arsenal play at Anfield the same way they did at the San Siro then they will win on Merseyside.
Many think that Arsenal’s sluggish domestic form will translate into Europe – this is yet another argument that I cannot fathom. Surely Liverpool are just as bad domestically – and yet no one points to their flop of a title bid when discussing the Merseysiders’ European abilities.
The reason that I want Arsenal to triumph in Europe is simple – Arsenal are young.
The Gunners have been playing with a maturity far beyond their years this season, and in Cesc Fabregas have someone with the footballing brain of a Paolo Maldini, and the body of a youth – he is Arsenal’s equivalent of Tom Hanks’ character from Big. For youth to triumph the management has to be just right, and it is testament to Arsene Wenger’s coaching abilities that he has got so much from them this season.
Youth excites, and successful teams made up of whipper snappers come along once a decade. A wise sage (Alen Hansen) once said “You’ll never win anything with kids." To win in the ultimate theatre of club football, with a band of junior crusaders, would be truly amazing.
If Arsenal aren’t going to win it, Barcelona would be the perfect winners – they share many style similarities with the north Londoners, and although they are having a rocky second half to the season, it is often exactly those teams that are stuttering, that blossom for the vital games in Europe.
The classic Madridista critique of the Catalan side is that Real Madrid’s trophy room is packed with trophies, whereas Barcelona’s is full of works of art; but the early season football that Barca played were as unique and obliquely brilliant as any Picasso, and in many ways I want to see them rewarded for that.
From my perspective it would be disastrous if Liverpool won, if the Reds won in Red Square that would remove any possibility of my Everton side playing in the Champions League next season, irrespective of whether we make fourth place.
So for me I would love to see Arsenal win in Moscow, failing that I’d be happy with Barca, but definitely not Liverpool!
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