Arsenal Barca

[Seal]

The things that grates me with Barcelona is the unnecessary play acting whenever they get challenged. Yet when the exact same happens to them, they are all over the ref complaining. Massive double standards.

The refs do seem to favour them no question. Look at the Inter Milan sending off last season as well.

Utter nonsense. Yes there are a few Barca players that play act (busquets being the main culprit) but they're no different to any other team. If anything they're better because like Messi, Villa & Iniesta will stay on their feet and get the shot away. Given his stature and the amount of hefty challenges that Messi gets, it'd be so easy for him to fall over every time anyone's near him but he doesn't.

Refs favouring them? Seriously? So the penalty that wasn't given for the foul on Pedro and Messi's disallowed goal were what exactly? The RvP sending off was a poor but for all their possesion and territory, where were all the free kicks from the dives and biased refs?

Dani Alves get's tapped on the ankle, dives theatrically and rolls around holding his shin.

Jack Wilshire goes down easily (shock horror maybe even dives) 10 minutes later. Barca players try to yank him to his feat, and have a go at the ref for letting him in their eyes feign injury.

Citing the brilliance (and sporting nature) one of Messi does not excuse the rest of the team, nor does it make what I said 'utter nonsense'.

As for the refs favouring Barcelona, I'm not talking about errors on major decisions (as that would be nearer corruption than favouritism), they always happen in football, and it's childish to talk about one pen decision vs another sending off. What I'm saying is that as a neutral, it always appear the refs tend to be more sympathetic to Barca when it comes to the smaller decisions, e.g. fouls & 50/50s. Maybe this is because the refs subconsciously favour the superior team who are doing the attacking. You asked for stats and they tend to back this theory up.

Possession - Barca 68% Arsenal 32% (so 112% more possession)
Free Kicks - Barca 19 - Arsenal 8 (137% more free kicks)

Not saying that categorically proves anything but since you asked for them...

[Gloria Gooner]

Wenger and Nasri charged with improper conduct by UEFA.

[Ginger Ninjas]

Dani Alves get's tapped on the ankle, dives theatrically and rolls around holding his shin.

Jack Wilshire goes down easily (shock horror maybe even dives) 10 minutes later. Barca players try to yank him to his feat, and have a go at the ref for letting him in their eyes feign injury.

Citing the brilliance (and sporting nature) one of Messi does not excuse the rest of the team, nor does it make what I said 'utter nonsense'.

As for the refs favouring Barcelona, I'm not talking about errors on major decisions (as that would be nearer corruption than favouritism), they always happen in football, and it's childish to talk about one pen decision vs another sending off. What I'm saying is that as a neutral, it always appear the refs tend to be more sympathetic to Barca when it comes to the smaller decisions, e.g. fouls & 50/50s. Maybe this is because the refs subconsciously favour the superior team who are doing the attacking. You asked for stats and they tend to back this theory up.

Possession - Barca 68% Arsenal 32% (so 112% more possession)
Free Kicks - Barca 19 - Arsenal 8 (137% more free kicks)

Not saying that categorically proves anything but since you asked for them...

Surely that stat just suggests that the team who are in possession more are more likely to get fouled, which is kinda obvious, not some subconscious refereeing

*no snowballo*

[Y21_Royal]

The things that grates me with Barcelona is the unnecessary play acting whenever they get challenged. Yet when the exact same happens to them, they are all over the ref complaining. Massive double standards.

The refs do seem to favour them no question. Look at the Inter Milan sending off last season as well.

Utter nonsense. Yes there are a few Barca players that play act (busquets being the main culprit) but they're no different to any other team. If anything they're better because like Messi, Villa & Iniesta will stay on their feet and get the shot away. Given his stature and the amount of hefty challenges that Messi gets, it'd be so easy for him to fall over every time anyone's near him but he doesn't.

Refs favouring them? Seriously? So the penalty that wasn't given for the foul on Pedro and Messi's disallowed goal were what exactly? The RvP sending off was a poor but for all their possesion and territory, where were all the free kicks from the dives and biased refs?

Dani Alves get's tapped on the ankle, dives theatrically and rolls around holding his shin.

Jack Wilshire goes down easily (shock horror maybe even dives) 10 minutes later. Barca players try to yank him to his feat, and have a go at the ref for letting him in their eyes feign injury.

Citing the brilliance (and sporting nature) one of Messi does not excuse the rest of the team, nor does it make what I said 'utter nonsense'.

As for the refs favouring Barcelona, I'm not talking about errors on major decisions (as that would be nearer corruption than favouritism), they always happen in football, and it's childish to talk about one pen decision vs another sending off. What I'm saying is that as a neutral, it always appear the refs tend to be more sympathetic to Barca when it comes to the smaller decisions, e.g. fouls & 50/50s. Maybe this is because the refs subconsciously favour the superior team who are doing the attacking. You asked for stats and they tend to back this theory up.

Possession - Barca 68% Arsenal 32% (so 112% more possession)
Free Kicks - Barca 19 - Arsenal 8 (137% more free kicks)

Not saying that categorically proves anything but since you asked for them...

I never said Busquets was the only one and I don't disagree with your points on Alves or Wilshere. What annoys me is people singling Barca out for behaviour that is no different to any top other side in Europe.

I say utter nonsense because collectively I actually think Barca do generally steer clear of diving and histrionics. It doesn't suit their game to get free kicks and set plays, they only disrupt the flow of the game. I highlighted Messi but could also have said the same of Xavi, Iniesta or Villa.

Those stats actually go some way to support what I say when you take into account where on the pitch that possession was ie Arsenal's half. If the ref gave the majority of 50/50s Barca's way and was conned by theatrics, I'd suggest that the percentage of free kicks would be much more in favour of Barca rather than being roughly the same (just over twice as much)

[ZacNaloen]

It does suit their game to get players booked and/or sent off though. That's the point of the diving and histrionics.

[6ft Kerplunk]

Possession - Barca 68% Arsenal 32% (so 112% more possession)
Free Kicks - Barca 19 - Arsenal 8 (137% more free kicks)

Not saying that categorically proves anything but since you asked for them...

Doesn't prove anything other than you tend not to give freekicks away, other than for being offside, when you've already got possession.

[Y21_Royal]

It does suit their game to get players booked and/or sent off though. That's the point of the diving and histrionics.

But that didn't happen at any point last night

[Seal]

I know it doesn't really prove that much, he just asked for stats so I'd just thought I'd illustrate that the number of free kicks awarded for fouls (I should have referenced this) is greater than their relative domination of possession that's all.

Just a poor man's snowball really.

Any way point is, I admire Barcelona greatly, but (at home in particular) they still can be very guilty of the theatrical.

And I still hate Alves.

But they're much better than Arsenal clearly.

[Seal]

It does suit their game to get players booked and/or sent off though. That's the point of the diving and histrionics.

But that didn't happen at any point last night

So my friend Alves didn't dive or act a tad theatrically in order to get RVP booked for caressing his check?

[Royal With Cheese]

Barcelona, for all their wonderful football, try to get oppposition players booked and obtain free kicks in advantageous positions illegally.

I'm not sure how anyone can argue against that.

[Y21_Royal]

It does suit their game to get players booked and/or sent off though. That's the point of the diving and histrionics.

But that didn't happen at any point last night

So my friend Alves didn't dive or act a tad theatrically in order to get RVP booked for caressing his check?

I'm no great Alves fan but I don't think you can really claim it was his reaction that got RvP booked. As he ran past, he saw it was Alves and pushed his hands into his face. Clear and stupid yellow that cost his side dearly.

[Y21_Royal]

Barcelona, for all their wonderful football, try to get oppposition players booked and obtain free kicks in advantageous positions illegally.

I'm not sure how anyone can argue against that.

I'm not saying that there aren't elements within the team that cheat (Busquets against Inter last year being the best/worst example) but they are nowhere near as cynical as other teams and I don't understand why people try to single them out for it.

Also, Barca's record from set pieces is abysmal, they haven't got a great free kick taker and so there isn't really such a thing as an 'advantageous position' for them

[6ft Kerplunk]

I'm no great Alves fan but I don't think you can really claim it was his reaction that got RvP booked. As he ran past, he saw it was Alves and pushed his hands into his face. Clear and stupid yellow that cost his side dearly.

Yeah, the second booking was a joke but he only got sent off because of his own stupidity.

[Victor Meldrew]

Man Utd,Chelsea and Arsenal, for all their occasionally decent football, try to get oppposition players booked and obtain free kicks in advantageous positions illegally.

I'm not sure how anyone can argue against that.

[ZacNaloen]

It does suit their game to get players booked and/or sent off though. That's the point of the diving and histrionics.

But that didn't happen at any point last night

I didn't say it did

[Victor Meldrew]

The things that grates me with Man Utd,Chelsea and Arsenal is the unnecessary play acting whenever they get challenged. Yet when the exact same happens to them, they are all over the ref complaining. Massive double standards.

The refs do seem to favour them no question. Look at the Inter Milan sending off last season as well.

I also really hate Nani,RooneyLampard,Cole,Terry . What horrible little c@nts.

A further observation from the pub I was in last night: glory hunting has gone Mancunian. Loads of English people in the pub acting as die hard Man Utd fans. Will have to adapt that chant now:-

"Were you born? Were you born? Were you born in Man-che-ster?"

A colleague of mine compared the game to England v Germany in the WC: suffered a massive injustice but everyone knows we were beaten by the better team.

[SpaceCruiser]

A further observation from the pub I was in last night: glory hunting has gone European. Loads of English people in the pub acting as die hard Barca fans. Will have to adapt that chant now:-

"Were you born? Were you born? Were you born in Ca-ta-lon-i-a!"

Or maybe they just don't like Arsenal?

[Royal With Cheese]

Man Utd,Chelsea and Arsenal, for all their occasionally decent football, try to get oppposition players booked and obtain free kicks in advantageous positions illegally.

I'm not sure how anyone can argue against that.

I would have had no problem with saying that.

[PlasticRoyale]

I think we've established that footballers are all cheating pcunts.....

[Hoop Blah]

Messi and the others do stay on their feet at times, when they think it's to their advantage, but don't kid yourselves that they're any different to the majority of professionals that won't think twice about taking a dive or play acting when it suits them.

Anyone remember Messi's appalling play acting against Chelsea a few years back? Pretty sure he got one of their players sent off with it and it was every bit as bad as Rivaldo's at the World Cup at a similar time. He's no angel that some are making him out to be, as I'm sure a quick you tube search for Missi diving would show.