Arsenal will be motivated by Barcelona defeats in Champions League last-16, says Arsene Wenger

Dejected: Wenger says pain from previous defeats to Barca will inspire team
(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
James Olley17 December 2015

Arsene Wenger insists the pain of past defeats will motivate Arsenal when they take on Barcelona in the Champions League.

Barca beat the Gunners in the 2006 Final and also knocked them out of the competition in 2010 and 2011.

Robin van Persie was sent off in controversial circumstances four years ago as Arsenal were beaten 4-3 on aggregate in the Camp Nou having won the first leg 2-1.

And after being paired with the Catalan giants at the last 16 stage beginning in February, Wenger said: “We are more mature now. We played against Barcelona with top teams, but very inexperienced and very young. Barcelona were in full power but we still managed to beat them and it was always very tight.

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“We have never been beaten [comprehensively] and we were sometimes unlucky as well. That is in our minds. That is deep in my body as well. I do not forget that. We have a chance, an opportunity to put things right, and we’ll focus on that.”

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