Arsenal welcome European champions Barcelona to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night as they look to upset the odds and end their Champions League last-16 hoodoo with victory in the first leg.
The Gunners have been eliminated at this stage of the competition in each of the last five seasons, while Barca are bidding to become the first team to successfully defend Europe's premier competition since AC Milan in 1990.
Arsenal
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There will have been a collective groan around the red half of North London when the draw for the last 16 was made and Barcelona came out of the hat to face Arsenal.
The Gunners had already made hard work of their passage into the knockout stages, progressing from Group F by the skin of their teeth to reach the latter stages of the competition for the 16th consecutive season.
It had looked like mission impossible following shock defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos in their opening two games, but a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich handed them a lifeline and, despite being well beaten in the reverse, they finished the group stage off with another two wins to sneak through on goal difference.
Things get no easier, though, with the favourites for this season's competition awaiting them in the last 16, just as they did in 2010-11. Indeed, they haven't had much luck in recent draws at this stage of the Champions League, going out to Bayern Munich twice and AC Milan once.
Last year appeared to be their best chance of returning to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2010, but a surprise away-goals defeat to AS Monaco put paid to that, and Wenger was left to contemplate another season in which his side had failed to make a major mark on Europe.
Contrary to domestic matters, it has been their home form that has let them down in such matches recently, losing at the Emirates in the last 16 by two goals in each of the previous three seasons.
Things have been a little shakier than usual at home in all competitions over the past few weeks too, with only two wins from their last five outings in front of their own fans, following a spell of nine wins from 10 before that.
The latest of those was a goalless draw with Hull City in the FA Cup on Saturday, a result that Wenger admitted was "not ideal" preparation for the visit of the world's best team.
Things do look a little better in the Premier League now, though, with the fit-again Danny Welbeck having marked his first appearance of the season with the winning goal against title rivals Leicester City to close the gap at the top of the table to just two points.
It is fair to say that Barcelona will bring with them a tougher test than anything the Gunners currently face in the Premier League, though, and with Manchester United to come at the weekend and a North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur also on the horizon, it promises to be a big couple of weeks for Arsenal.
Recent form: LLWLWW
Recent form (all competitions): LWDWWD
Barcelona
© AFP
This is a competition that has belonged to Barcelona in recent years, with this season marking the 10-year anniversary from when their period of dominance started.
The victory over Arsenal in the 2006 final was the second time that they had been crowned European champions, and over the past decade they have earned that accolade on four occasions - no other team has won it more than once in that time.
However, back-to-back victories have so far eluded the various incarnations of the club, and indeed any club since the Champions League took over from the European Cup.
It is a slice of history that looks destined to be broken this term, with Barcelona not only establishing themselves as the best side in the world under Luis Enrique, but arguably putting themselves amongst the greatest teams to have ever graced the game.
Their ongoing 32-match unbeaten streak is a club record, surpassing the mark set by Pep Guardiola's side, with 26 wins, 98 goals and 16 clean sheets since their last defeat at the start of October.
Certainly, their front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are comparable in potency to any frontline down the years, with the deadly trio having already combined for 91 goals and a further 43 assists this season; Arsenal's entire squad have managed just 61 goals between them.
Messi and Neymar may have finished first and third respectively in the voting for the Ballon d'Or, but arguably the most impressive of the lot this season has been the one-time Arsenal target Suarez. The Uruguayan has 41 goals to his name in all competitions this term and has directly contributed to a staggering 23 goals in his last 10 appearances.
Such form has seen Barca storm eight points clear in the La Liga title race and, having already reached the Copa del Rey final, an unprecedented second consecutive treble seems to be within their grasp.
Arsenal, and indeed a number of other teams, may have something to say about that, but Barca look almost unstoppable at the moment. They are one of only two unbeaten sides left in the Champions League this term and have made the best start to a calendar year in the club's history.
They have also made it to at least the semi-finals of this competition in seven of the last eight seasons and have scored in each of their last 19 Champions League outings, winning 15 of those.
Recent form: DWWWWD
Recent form (all competitions): WWDWWW
Team News
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Arsene Wenger named a weakened side against Hull in the FA Cup, so the hosts are expected to welcome a number of first-team players back into the fold for this one.
Amongst them will be Alexis Sanchez, who joined the Gunners from Barcelona having scored 47 goals in 141 appearances for the Catalan giants.
Hector Bellerin is a fellow Barca alumnus who should start, but another product of La Masia, Mikel Arteta, will miss the game due to a calf injury.
He will join Santi Cazorla (knee), Jack Wilshere (leg), Gabriel Paulista (hamstring) and the perpetually injured Tomas Rosicky (thigh) on the sidelines, but former Real Madrid man Mesut Ozil is expected to be fit following illness.
Barca will be without the suspended Arda Turan and the injured Rafinha, but otherwise Enrique has a clean bill of health for the trip to England, including the presence of former Gunners captain Thomas Vermaelen.
Suarez, Neymar and Messi are all expected to start as usual, although the latter has failed to score past Petr Cech in six previous meetings with the former Chelsea goalkeeper.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Ramsey; Walcott, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Ter Stegen; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar
Head To Head
Barcelona have won both of the previous two-legged knockout ties between these sides, coming through 4-3 on aggregate in 2010-11 despite losing the first leg at the Emirates 2-1.
The most famous meeting between the two sides came in the 2006 final when Barcelona came from behind to beat the 10 men of Arsenal courtesy of goals from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti. In all, the seven previous meetings between these two sides have produced 27 goals, an average of almost four per game.
Barca have won in England at this stage of the competition in both of the last two years, but their overall record away to Premier League clubs stands at eight wins, eight draws and 14 defeats from 30 meetings. Arsenal, meanwhile, have only lost two of their 13 home games against Spanish opposition.
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We say: Arsenal 1-3 Barcelona
On their day, Arsenal can cause any side in the world problems, but Barcelona play the same style as the Gunners, just better. It is hard to see anyone stopping Barcelona at the moment, particularly a team who are likely to play the Spanish outfit at their own game. It is the toughest tie Arsenal could have got, and we think that Barca will simply have too much for Wenger's side.
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