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Barcelona were still confident last night of a second-leg comeback against Arsenal in the Champions League because they believe Arsène Wenger will not be able to copy Jose Mourinho's ultra-defensive tactics in the Nou Camp next month.

Barça went out of the competition at the semi-finals stage last season having lost the first leg away to Internazionale 3-1. Then the Inter coach, Mourinho said: "We did not park the bus, we parked the plane," after seeing his side defend for 90 minutes in the second leg to go through following a 1-0 defeat.

Wenger's natural attacking instincts are now seen as Barça's biggest ally and last night Barcelona players were consoling themselves by reflecting on the amount of chances they were allowed at the Emirates before Arsenal's comeback.

Midfielder Xavi said: "We had infinite opportunities to kill off the tie; we didn't take them and we ended up paying but there are 90 minutes left and I am still optimistic. I'd like to think that we are still favourites with the second leg to come at home and in front of our supporters."

Lionel Messi will need to find the goalscoring touch that deserted him in London. The Argentine has now failed to score in seven games on English soil for Barcelona. "Jinxed" was the one-word verdict on the Argentine after he made it 626 minutes without a goal in England.

Messi does have happy memories of last year's home-leg against Arsenal however when he scored all Barcelona's goals in a 4-1 win. The Spanish Champions have scored 103 goals so far this season but could have far bigger problems at the other end of the pitch with Gerard Pique's suspension ruling him out of the second leg and putting more pressure on captain Carles Puyol to return quickly from injury.

In 40 games this season Barcelona have only lost four times and Puyol has been missing in each of the defeats. He has been out with a tendinitis problem in his left knee for three weeks but was due to return for this Sunday's home game against Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona have no defensive cover and coach Guardiola would be forced to pair Gabriel Milito with Eric Abidal if the 32-year-old Puyol does not return on time.

His La Liga return could now be delayed to ensure he can face Robin van Persie and company in the Champions League, sparing Guardiola the necessity to call on Milito who has struggled for form and fitness this season.

Despite the optimism in Spain over the second leg, there was still an inquest over Barcelona's second-half capitulation with special attention paid to England starlet Jack Wilshere's second-half domination of Xavi.

Barcelona paper El Mundo Deportivo eulogised: "Wilshere confirmed all the good things that have been said about him in the last few months. The great hope of English football looked like the complete midfielder. He started the game as a holding player and in the second half played further forward in the style of Xavi who was not comfortable at the Emirates and whose experience could not save Barça from a nervous end to the game."

Nicola Rizzoli was the other protagonist of the enquiry into why Barcelona had thrown away a lead at the Emirates for the second year running. The match official known as "Mourinho's friend"' was accused of denying Barcelona a penalty as well as wrongly ruling out Messi's first-half goal.

Rizzoli mistakenly gave Inter a penalty in 2009 that enabled Mourinho's team to draw 3-3 with Roma. He was demoted to Serie B for the mistake and his past misdemeanors were not forgotten as replays showed Messi onside when he headed over the line in the first half.

Barcelona now play four games in the 19 days leading up to the return. After Sunday's home game they travel to Mallorca and Valencia followed by a home fixture against strugglers Zaragoza on the Saturday before their most important 90 minutes of the season so far.

What the Spanish papers said...

Cesc's Arsenal breaks Barcelona

Marca praised the counter-attacking threat that Arsenal posed throughout the game. However, it did describe Robin van Persie's goal as a "fatal error" by goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Marca.com also conducted a 40,000-strong survey which pinpointed the failings of Lionel Messi, Maxwell and Pedro in Barça's defeat, but praised the performance of Eric Abidal, who played out of position at centre-back.

Forgiveness

Mundo Deportivo criticised Barcelona's "forgiveness" in front of goal and their failure to kill off the game. They also questioned manager Pep Guardiola's change in formation following David Villa's substitution in the 67th minute: 16 minutes later Andrei Arshavin added Arsenal's second to complete an unlikely turnaround.

A 'good fit'

AS described Barcelona as becoming "too enchanted by their own football" and argued that Barça's first hour of dominance at the Emirates only helped to spur Arsenal on: "A wounded Englishman is very dangerous. And if he knows how to play on the counter, even more so. And it turned out that power, in the end, overcame technique."

However, the Madrid paper led with Emmanuel Adebayor saying Cesc Fabregas would be "a good fit" at Real Madrid.

The Camp Nou comeback

Sport backed a Barça win in the return leg after refereeing decisions went against them at the Emirates. Messi had a goal "unfairly disallowed" and there was no penalty awarded for a "foul" on Pedro.

And the rest...

El Pais

"Last night Arsenal fought like champions. They didn't give up even when the night looked at its bleakest."

"Arsenal have definitively shed their respect for Barcelona, who yesterday were more functional, less ambitious or, at the least, more vulnerable and less punishing."

El Mundo

"Arsenal won deservedly, thanks to their noble resistance and the drive of Wilshere."

The idea that La Liga is the best league in the world "fell apart in a single trip to London."

Michael Butler

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Labels: aposto, Arsenal, busapos, confident, crash, Independent, refusal, Wengeraposs

{ Fernando Torres remains upbeat despite being given a bloody nose by his old team-mates on his Chelsea debut. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Fernando Torres has reacted defiantly after a "difficult" debut for Chelsea by insisting the champions will learn to flourish within Carlo Ancelotti's preferred diamond formation and will continue to fight to retain their Premier League title.

The striker has joined the Spain squad ahead of their friendly against Colombia on Wednesday having hardly adjusted to life as a Chelsea player following his £50m move on transfer deadline day. His disjointed performance and 66th-minute substitution in the defeat to his former club Liverpool on Sunday provided a dispiriting start to his career in London, though Torres believes he will prosper alongside the likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka within the champions' ranks.

Ancelotti has indicated he will persevere at Fulham next Monday with the slightly rejigged diamond formation that had struggled to break down a stubborn Liverpool side. Asked whether the system can prove successful, Torres said: "Yes, I think so. As Carlo has said, when you have good players you have to try and keep the balance, keep working on the system.

"There are a lot of good players here and a lot of possibilities and chances to play. There are still a lot of games to come and we have to be ready to play in different positions. All that matters is the team.

"It was a very difficult [debut] because Liverpool played a good game, with three at the back. We were not expecting that and maybe they took advantage of that. We didn't create enough chances to score, but we had two or three controversial chances at the end when maybe we could have had a penalty. I think the fair result would have been the draw – it was unfair to lose that game – but now we are looking forward to the next game and will keep fighting until the end. There are a lot of points still to play [for]."

Defeat represented a missed opportunity for Chelsea, who continue to languish some 10 points behind the leaders, Manchester United, despite Sir Alex Ferguson's side suffering their first defeat of the campaign on Saturday. Yet, even with 13 games remaining, Chelsea retain hope of clawing their way back into the title race with two games against United still to come. Torres will need to be at his best for those contests and his former team-mate Jamie Carragher, so accomplished in snuffing out the Spaniard's threat on Sunday, is convinced the forward will prove his worth in a Chelsea shirt.

"I don't think any of the players had a problem with him," said Carragher. "He was a great player for us, and scored lots of goals. In our opinion we had the best striker in the world. Unfortunately these things happen in football, and we now have to focus on the players that have come. You wish him well. I've played against him in training many times, and he's a fantastic player. He and Drogba are probably two of the best strikers in the world, and I'm sure Fernando will be a fantastic signing for Chelsea. No doubt about that. Good luck to him."

The Liverpool goalkeeper José Reina said it had been "tough" to see his friend Torres depart but added: "Football is like that, as players we come and go. You have to understand his decision; he felt it was a good opportunity to continue developing. The club has to look forward and forget Fernando. He is not here any more and we can't do anything but wish him a lot of luck."

Addressing the fans' anger towards Torres, Reina said: "It's logical that people don't understand it but I think they have to make an effort and remember what he did for the club during these past three and a half years. He scored a lot of goals, he provided many entertaining afternoons of football and that is what we have to remember, the smile that he put on people's faces in many matches."

Torres returned to Madrid to link up with the national team fit and ready to play against Colombia and hoping to find form with which to make his mark at Craven Cottage next week. "I am fine," he said. "I have had no injuries this season at all. I keep working on my form and keep improving and hopefully all the injuries are gone.

"I have to forget that and think I can play every game for 90 minutes. But it is important to be there with Spain. We are world champions so I will enjoy these three days, but I will be ready to come back as soon as possible to London to keep training and meeting all the people."

Agences de presses

Labels: Chelsea, confident, diamond, Fernando, formation, Guardian, sparkle, Torres

{ Kevin Doyle scores Wolves' first-half winner against Manchester United (Getty Images)Wolves' 2-1 victory over Manchester United Saturday has reaffirmed their chairman's hope for Premier League football next season.

Steve Morgan was unsuprised, though, by his side's triumph over the formerly unbeaten league leaders.

Whilst the victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's side won't be enough on its own to secure top flight football for next season, Morgan is still looking to build from the triumph.

"We have played some fantastic football this season," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We've had horrendous luck but it all came together and the whole club is absolutely delighted.

"It's in our hands. If we show the same spirit that we showed (against United) we'll be absolutely fine," he said.

The Wolves chairman also found time to criticise fair play standards, citing Chelsea's recent expenditures as a luxury his own side can't afford.

"To clubs like Wolves and many other clubs like us it's completely surreal," he said. "It clearly isn't a level playing field when some clubs can literally throw telephone numbers around and others have to live within our budget.

"I think it's nuts and I don't know how certain clubs are going to get through the fair play rules which kick in next season."

With three points against United Saturday, Morgan will hope Wolves will be there to find out.

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Labels: after, Chairman, confident, Goalcom, Manchester, Morgan, Steve, Wolves