Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has expressed his shock with Arsenal’s tactical approach to the preseason friendly between the two clubs.
The game took a frantic pace from the start as both sides squared up in a highly-anticipated preseason friendly. Known for a similar possessive and attacking style of football, it was a defining match for Arteta and Xavi – two former students and now managers heavily influenced by Barcelona’s and Pep Guardiola’s tiki-taka style.
While the game was just a preseason friendly, it affords the two managers an opportunity to evaluate their mastery of the dynamics of the possessive style of football.
Arsenal gave nothing away in the game despite being hit with the first punch with Robert Lewandwoski’s early strike in the 7th minute.
After Barcelona’s opener, the 2022/23 Premier League runners-up mounted an immediate response in the 13th minute with Bukayo Saka’s leveler. Saka would have bagged his brace to put the Gunners ahead after Barcelona conceded a penalty but the England youngster missed it. After the missed penalty, the Gunners paid a heavy price as Barcelona went back into the lead in the 34th minute with Raphinha netting the Blaugrana’s second.
Before the first half break, Arsenal responded again with an equaliser as Kai Havertz netted his first Arsenal goal in the 43rd minute to tie the game.
Arsenal gave a stronger second half display, taking the La Liga giants to the cleaners. The Gunners were more clinical with their finishing banging in 3 goals to wrap up a big win against the La Liga champions.
Leandro Trossard hit a brace, scoring in the 55th and 78th minutes to steer Arsenal to a safe 4-2 lead. Barcelona responded with a late goal to restore comeback hopes but substitute Fabio Vieira’s wonder strike from outside the box in the 90th minute reinstated the two goal lead as the Gunners ran out 5-3 winners.
Reacting after the match, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez blasts how Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, approached the match tactically.
Xavi said Arsenal took the game as a normal competitive match not as a regular friendly. While confessing Arsenal were far up the ladder than Barcelona, Xavi said it was a good game for the fan but not for the managers as Arsenal approached the game with much intensity as a competitive encounter.
Xavi Hernandez also blamed the defeat on poor and weak defending, including the recent viral bug infection which distorted their preseason plans and plagued the team with fitness issues
”It was a good game for the fans but not so much for the coaches. It was up and down. You could tell Arsenal are much further down the line than us, that said, we were far too soft in defence.
”There were positives and negatives, though. I said to Mikel at the end of the game, it was like a Champions League tie with the intensity they put in.
”It was not normal for a friendly, but I understand everyone wants to win. For us, it was our first friendly and we went into it off the back of loads of players having had a bug.”
Xavi added Mikel Arteta’s tactical approach and intensity surprised him as it was not normal applying such intensity and committing tactical fouls but maintains he still retains his respect and admiration for Arteta having played together at the iconic Barcelona’s Le Masia academy.
”It is not normal to play with so much intensity, making tactical fouls”, Xavi Hernandez said.
”Everyone wants to compete, but it is a friendly. They were playing with another level of intensity. We took it seriously but the main reason [for losing] was the difference in rhythm and match sharpness.
“We have had similar careers. We were both kids at Barca and we played together. I wish him all the best and I respect him very much.”
Xavi Hernandez’s claim has been dismissed by most pundits as Arsenal’s victory stemmed from a superior and more brilliant performance than the Catalans. However, the match witness a few seconds of fracas in the 37th minute which was instigated by Ronald Araujo’s rough tackle on Gabriel Jesus.
Araujo was brandished a yellow card, including Kai Havertz, who challenged Araujo for the rough tackle.
We reportedly earlier Barcelona suffered a viral affection that affected 14 players and caused a preplanned preseason friendly against Juventus to be postponed.
The match against Arsenal was their first friendly after recovering from the viral infection. Xavi Hernandez will hope to roll back the defeat against Arsenal when the team take on domestic arch-rivals rival, Real Madrid on Saturday, 26 July, 2023 in Texas.
