Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has called Lionel Messi the best player in the world after he scored four times to knock Arsenal out of the Champions League.

Barcelona won the tie 6-3 over the two legs and Messi’s performance last night was nothing short of brilliant. He displayed everything that has made him into one of the best players of his generation.

There could have been a shock on the cards when Arsenal went ahead in the match thanks to a Niklas Bendtner toe poke after Theo Walcott struggled to cross the ball into the Barcelona box.

Wenger said: “We lost against a team better than us, with the best player in world. He’s like a PlayStation player — he can take advantage of every mistake we make.”

“Messi is the best player in the world by a distance. He’s not always in the game, but when he is he’s really dangerous. Once he’s on a run he’s unstoppable, the only player who can change direction at such pace and be a threat.”

“He has something exceptional. He has six or seven years in front of him, touch wood that nothing happens to him, and he can reach unbelievable levels. He’s very young, but he can achieve a lot. The defeat is difficult to handle because when you go out of the Champions League, the next day you are in front of a very empty future. Our dreams are involved in that, but you have to address the disappointment and make sure you’re ready for the next game.”

“It’s a big disappointment and we have to recover quickly because we cannot drop any points to have a chance to fight for the Premier League [Arsenal, in third place, trail Chelsea by three points with five games remaining].”

Arsenal goalkeper, Manuel Almunia, added: “He is the best I have faced. He is the best in the world. You try to anticipate what he is going to do but it is so difficult because his skills are so high. He can do what he wants with the ball at any moment.”

Arsenal were ultimately no match for their Spanish opponents but now face a tough battle in the Premier League to try and win back the English crown.

Arsenal can learn things from the way Barcelona played and they now have the experience of what other sides feel when they are playing at their best in English games.

Ultimately it will take a physical team to beat Messi. There are no conventional methods to stop the way he plays so the job has to be to try and make him think he’s going to get hurt every time he gets the ball.

As harsh or as bad as it seems that may be the only way to stop him and one of many tactics that a whole host of teams will be readying to try this summer against Argentina in South Africa.

Manchester United defender, Nemanja Vidic, says the club have what it takes to turn their tie against Bayern Munich on its head.

United are currently trailing 2-1 in the tie and have been rocked by the news that their top scorer and best player, Wayne Rooney, will be out of action for about a month after spraining his ankle in Germany.

However, Vidic says there is a lot more togetherness in the team than many give the side credit for. He believes that ultimately it will be this team spirit, which helps get the side through some tough matches ahead.

He said: “We showed this season, we play as a team. It is not just about one man. Definitely Wayne Rooney has had a great season. He is unbelievable, one of the best in the world. But sometimes big players are missing, and others need to be ready.”

“Dimitar had a great game against Bolton on Saturday. He is a great footballer. He scored twice himself and can set up goals for other players as well. We have a good squad. We just need to believe in ourselves and believe in each other.”

“We had all night to think about what went wrong. It was not a great game for us. We should play better and we will need to play better against Chelsea. Sometimes when you lose a game and play badly you wake up and realise you need to improve.”

“I am not concerned. I was disappointed. But 2-1 is not that bad a result bearing in mind we still have a game at home and I expect us to be stronger.”

The scale of the task immediately in front of United may just be a little too big. It is ridiculous to say that the side can play with the same charisma and influence when Rooney isn’t in the side.

If this was the case, then Rooney would be able to sit on the bench for United a lot more often. This would have meant that he didn’t have to play in Germany and get injured.

They will miss him but the point is whether they can hang on by the skin of their teeth to a point where Chelsea do not sneak ahead of them and Bayern do not nip past them in the Champions League.

England will be happy because it means Rooney will get a nice one month break before the World Cup. This equipped with the fact Chelsea’s England players don’t have to play extra Champions League games could work well for the team.

However, the battle in the mind of many English fans will all be about United and Chelsea this weekend. Whoever wins this game will probably go onto win the title if all the other results go as intended.

Pep Guardiola says that his Barcelona team will make it through to another Champions League semi-final following the first leg 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

Few would argue with him after the way that Barcelona played against Arsenal and although the side conceded two goals to let their lead slip, the Barca manager says he saw enough to stay confident.

Barca put on an exhibition of football against the North London club. Crisp passing, brilliant movement and numerous chances were produced in a first half an hour, which was as good as anyone at the stadium would have seen.

The fact Arsenal struggled on their own ground means, in Guardiola’s eyes, that the club should win the second leg next week if they do all of the small things correctly.

He said: “We had a lot of chances and we had a lot of control. We are proud of our performance. We have a good chance to qualify for the next round. We are happy with this result, but we could have killed the tie.”

“We need to be more focused because they are a good team, otherwise we will go out. We are happy to come here and let people watch our team and our game. We never played last year like we did here. We moved the ball and didn’t allow them to play. We created many chances.”

“We were better in certain aspects of the game but we need to be precise and good at the back. I don’t think anyone can criticise us. We have given a good image of how football should be played. The second leg will be much more complicated, not because they are going to close down and shut up shop. It is just going to be much more difficult.”

One of the main reasons it will be much more difficult is the fact that Barca will be without both of their centre backs, Gerrard Pique and Carlos Puyol, both of whom are suspended after a booking and a sending off last night.

If Arsenal have any sense at all, they will target this are of the pitch and mix their style of going wide and through the middle so it gives the Barca players the same headache they have just given Arsenal.

Barca may even be a little depleted after the game because of the way they played and the lead they gave up. They may be so annoyed and focused on beating Arsenal that they take one eye off of their La Liga campaign, which could mean lost ground to Real Madrid.

Guardiola is a smart boss and he will not make many changes for the Spanish leg next week. What he should do is wind up his team to a point where they do not waste so many key chances next time round, which will ultimately be enough to take them through.

Arsenal captain, Cesc Fabregas, fears he has a surface break of his right leg after the 2-2 draw with Barcelona in the Champions League.

Fabregas scored the penalty, which put the two sides level on a night where Barcelona should have put the match to bed. This news will rock the club and fans who will now see their Premier League title hopes virtually finished.

Furthermore Fabregas would not have been allowed to play next week in Spain because he picked up a yellow card, which means he will be suspended for the return tie.

He said: “We have to wait for tomorrow, but I hope I can wear the Arsenal shirt again this season. I fear the worst, which is that I have broken something. I do not think it is going to be good news, but still I hope there will be.”

“When I took the penalty, I was quite strong, but after, when I went to get the ball, I could not walk any more. It is the fibula. I think I put my leg between [Carles] Puyol’s when I was fouled, and kicked it. Until the penalty I was feeling quite good.”

Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, added: “I give a lot of credit to my players because they kept themselves in the tie even at 2-0 down against a team like Barcelona. If you have no mental strength, you can go down but we came back to 2-2.”

“I believe the whole team was mentally unbelievable tonight because we kept going and kept going, and against an opponent that was class. I am still convinced that we can make life difficult for them in the second tie and that we have a chance to qualify. The biggest regret I have tonight is that we gave two cheap goals away. I believe the way we gave those goals away was beyond understanding.”

Although Arsenal are still in the tie, it is very difficult to see how they are going to get a result in the Nou Camp. Barca virtually played them off the park on their own ground and should have had a much stronger lead after this tie.

Arsenal will feel lifted by the fact they could play so badly in the first half and still be in the game at a level point. However, the fact Barca went on to score two goals means that Arsenal must score in Spain to get through.

Barca could easily sit on their two away goals but this is not how the Spanish champions play. Although they will have to change both of their central defenders next week, the rest of the team can easily take pressure away from this area.

Fabregas would have done anything to get himself fit and playing in the important matches that Arsenal have coming up. He would have taken great satisfaction in scoring against the club he has been constantly linked with.

Arsenal captain, Cesc Fabregas, has revealed that he has been acting like a little boy in the run up to the club’s Champions League clash with Barcelona.

Fabregas says he has been looking forward to the quarterfinal tie against one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Barca are also a club that the Spaniard has been constantly linked with over the last few seasons.

Arsenal have got a huge task on their hands and will have to play out of their skins in order to win the match. The ultimate strength of the Barca side may be something, which turns out to be too great for them.

Fabregas said: “Ever since the draw was made I’ve dreamt about this game and I am desperate to play in it. I’ve never disguised my affection for Barcelona, it’s where I was brought up and where I learned so many beautiful things about football.”

“But Arsenal have the same principles and this is our chance to show the world that we can stand shoulder to shoulder with Barcelona and emerge triumphant. You can’t imagine how much I want to be part of that.”

“Football is all about moments like this, all about challenges and this is a big challenge for Arsenal and for myself. Individually you want to prove yourself against the biggest players in the world. And that’s Barcelona – they are a team packed full of some of the best players in the world.”

“So you want to show you can play against them, there’s nothing better. To be honest this is the most exciting time of my career and now I want to make it brilliant. You know the next few days are going to be so good because the most important games of the season are coming. Yes, Barcelona are the best team in the world, so if you can avoid them until the final then it is definitely much better. But we are not scared of anyone.”

Barca go to the Emirates with some relatively rocky recent La Liga form. Although the club are still heading the way, alongside Real Madrid, they have seen a large lead slip, allowing their rivals back in.

Arsenal need to play perfect football and ultimately it will be a clash of two sides who like to get the ball down and virtually pass it into the net. The winner will be the side that manages to do this more efficiently.

Barca have a number of match winners who Arsene Wenger would have been worrying about. Lionel Messi is one such player, a player who has defined football brilliance in recent weeks, scoring about a zillion goals in Barca’s last few matches.

Barca also have one of the most gifted midfields in Europe, which will be problematic for Arsenal’s relatively inexperienced side. Andres Iniesta and Xavi are two such players, players who Fabregas has been tipped to replace within the next few seasons.

Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, says that now he has all of his key players fit, he hopes this will be enough for the club to secure fourth place.

Liverpool have fallen way off the pace this year because of some poor football and some very bad results. The side have missed key players for long stretches and now Benitez has everyone fit, he thinks his side could be too strong.

However, Spurs and Manchester City are leading the way for the fourth place spot, which leads to Champions League football. Liverpool are relying on them slipping up in order for the Reds to be able to claw back the gap.

Rafa said: “If they can stay fit I think it will be very important because you have more options. When you have two games a week it is important to have different players available so you can change the system and you can keep the tempo. It is really important to have Fernando, Gerrard and Maxi available.”

“I can see Fernando is focused and he wants to do well. We are surprised sometimes by what he can do but my idea is that he can improve. He knows how to get better. Two goals and a great performance again against Sunderland is what the team needed.”

“Johnson is an attacking defender and sometimes when you have the team playing well at home and everyone is going forward he can be a real threat. He had one or two chances against Sunderland and he was very dangerous down the right side. At this moment we have to concentrate on what we can change now – to play well on the pitch and try to be as close as possible to the top four and progress in the Europa League and the other things will come.”

“I think it depends on us. If we keep winning our games – there are difficult games – we will be closer and every week will be different. Sunday at Birmingham will be tough but if we can win our games I think they [Tottenham, City and Villa] will lose some points and I think we can be there.”

Liverpool will have to finish fourth because they have a number of players in their squad who have quality, which demands European competition. The risk is that if they don’t secure this, these players could walk away from the club.

This will put Liverpool back another step and another until they start to become a mediocre midtable Premier League side. However, with everyone fit they have a very good chance of winning the Europa League, which would mean European football of some description next season at least.

The side cannot fall into the trap of overly relying on Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard all over again. It was this reliance, which meant they slipped way off the pace in the first place. It is also this sort of reliance, which threatens to tear Manchester United’s season apart with the new injury to Wayne Rooney.

The war of words between Bayern Munich and Manchester United continues to roll on as the pair prepare to meet in the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League.

Bayern coach, Louis van Gaal, says the club are not focusing on Wayne Rooney as the main threat to the current German league leaders. The coach says the United side is fill of other players who can cause problems.

However, the Dutchman has already said that the main focus for his Munich side will be to win their home game and win it well. They will have to get in front if they are going to have any chance of coming through the match at Old Trafford.

He said: “I’m not afraid of anybody. I’m never afraid and never have been. My players are not afraid of anybody either. We respect his [Rooney’s] qualities, but, as a team, we can handle him. We also have qualities. I think Sir Alex [Ferguson, the United manager] and his players are maybe a bit afraid of my players.”

“Rooney is a super-footballer and he isn’t that old. He is now very difficult to keep out of the game, but it is important not to concentrate on one player.”

“I was the one who said to Arjen that it would be better if he wouldn’t start. I protected him, but he and the doctor said that he could play.

Sir Alex Ferguson added: “I don’t pay any attention to that. They have had one or two bad results of late but that doesn’t mean they are a bad team. We are not getting carried away and thinking for a moment this will be an easy game.”

“I think it’s a massive week for us — we have two big games against Bayern and a great game against Chelsea. You have to enjoy it and at the same time know it’s crucial. You hope you don’t make any mistakes and hope they will happen to [your opponents] to win games for you. It’s going to be an exciting week.”

The match is sure to be a tight one but the point is that it could well be Rooney who is the difference in this game. Bayern’s problem seems to be that they are focusing only on their attack and the potency of their two wingers.

This is a bad mistake because if they are naïve enough to think that if their wingers bomb forward all night, they will win the game. United know exactly how to soak up the pressure and then hit teams on the counter attack.

They blew AC Milan away who have a much more experienced and technically gifted side than Bayern Munich. They are also leading the way in the Premier League having suffered all season long through injuries.

It would take a brave man to bet against United in Germany this evening because if Bayern switch off for a second, that’s the away goal in the bank for United.

Manchester United star striker, Wayne Rooney, has revealed the ways he gets rid of built up anger during training sessions and big games.

Rooney will lead the United attack when the side take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League. He seems to have changed a lot as a player from the days when he would race around the pitch constantly.

Rooney has said that his childhood love of boxing and other sports helps him to unwind after a stressful day at work. United will be hoping these new methods will see him translate his form into much needed Champions League goals.

He said: “I used to do boxing and football. I was training every night with one of them and when I got to about 15, Everton said I had to stop boxing if I wanted to carry on playing football.”

“I had a good chance of making the first team, so I stopped. I still love watching boxing. It is a big thing in my family. I can still do a bit now after training, but obviously not fighting. I enjoy it. It is a good way to get rid of some anger.”

Rooney’s manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, added ahead of tonight’s game: “The return of Ferdinand and Vidic to keep our back four solid is significant. Along with Edwin van der Sar there was a time when all those players were injured. It wasn’t easy and we were very fragile.”

“But you can see the solidity now. You can see the experience of these players and it is making a massive difference to the performances of the team. It is a true saying strong at the back, strong as a team. We are looking very strong now.”

“What is the old saying about people in glass houses? When Nemanja Vidic came off at half-time he had a lump on his head the size of an egg, his jaw was swollen and he had a black eye.”

United are very well placed and stand a very good chance of winning more than one trophy by the end of this season. A large part of that is down to Rooney and the club will be hoping his new de-stress techniques work.

Many predicted that the club would fall away after they sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. However, interestingly, Rooney has scored more goals for United this season than Ronaldo has done at his new club.

He is still not close to Ronaldo’s club record of 42 goals in a single season but Rooney must be doing something right. He has take on all of the pressure and responsibility and risen to the challenge perfectly.

If he bags one, two or three in Germany then there will not be many English fans surprised at all. United would do well to put a punch bag somewhere in the dressing room to make sure they get the most from the scouse maestro.

Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, has praised striker, Carlos Tevez, after the club’s 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic.

Tevez bagged all three goals during the match and has been carrying the current side for large parts of the current season. Mancini says his performance was the best he has seen from a striker while he has been at the club.

Wigan were no match for City and their chances were not helped by the sending off of Gary Caldwell. The player appeared to catch his boot on the turf, which meant he went into Tevez. The Argentine obliged by rolling around to get the red card produced.

Mancini said: “It was a good performance by Carlos. He scored three important goals and we won this game. I am happy with him. He is scoring a lot of goals and has always been a good player. He is a young player, who is improving every year.”

Wigan boss, Roberto Martinez, added: “I cannot understand how you can give something you can’t see. To give a red card you have to be certain. Then you are looking at the replay it is no way it is a red card offence.”

“Gary said he went in really strong and got the ball. Carlos Tevez saw it jumped off the ground, he’s the one who left both feet. We are all human beings and we all make mistakes but to give a decision after something you don’t see that is lying. You are making it up. That is hard to take.”

“He (the referee) said he saw Gary Caldwell with both feet off the ground. That’s why he gave the red card. But Gary Caldwell only went with one foot. That’s a real injustice.”

It doesn’t seem to matter what Tevez does he is always in the headlines. A lot of people may have lost some respect for the player but there is no doubt that he is still one of the most potent strikers in the Premier League.

Mancini should offer him a bonus of whatever he likes because had Wigan managed to get a point or more from the game then the axe may have already been coming down towards Mancini’s neck.

City have started to learn that it does not matter how much money you pump into a football club. Instant success is much harder to achieve and it could still be a few years before the side wins a trophy.

Spurs look in control of fourth place and with Liverpool always nipping at the heels of fourth place, it could be too big an ask for City to secure Champions League football this year.

Their fans will say they are much stronger and better than Spurs but what they will not acknowledge is the fact Spurs have never been in this position before. This means they are more likely to whatever it takes to stay in fourth place.

Chelsea player, Frank Lampard, has said that the 7-1 thrashing of Aston Villa over the weekend is one of the best games he has ever played.

Lampard scored four times as the blues totally blew apart Martin O’Neill’s side. It is very rare that a side playing another top side does this sort of thing and Lampard is soaking up all of it.

Villa are a side chasing a Champions League spot and hearts would have been in Chelsea mouths when they drew level through a John Carew goal. However, Chelsea’s strength ultimately showed.

It is also a very clear sign that the West London club are in great form ahead of the title run in. They are hot on the heels of Manchester United and will fancy their chances with the pair soon to play.

Lampard said: “The moving of the ball around, our passing and movement was fantastic. It was great football and that is when we are at our best. It is easy to write us off and say negative things about teams and players from the outside, but all we can do is play football.”

“We know the big games are to come, especially next week. We know the quality of the players we have, we’ve shown that over the course of the season.”

“We’ve beaten Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal playing different formations. We have to forget the little rut we’ve been in and concentrate on the target now.”

“The title race has opened up with the way we’ve played in the last couple of games in particular and we want to take advantage.”

Chelsea also have the added advantage of the fact that they are no longer in Europe as they were knocked out by Inter Milan. This means the players are a little bit fresher than they otherwise would be.

The club have to win the league. A club the size of Chelsea demands some sort of trophy each season and with the recent heart break of the Champions League over the last couple of seasons, they will do what they can to get the Premier League title back.

However, it won’t be easy. The other sides they have left to play are not likely to roll over the way Villa did at the weekend. Chelsea must not fall into the trap of getting complacent against the lesser sides in the league.

These sides will all be scrapping for points to stop the threat of relegation and funnier things have happened in football.

If the rest of the results go as expected then the winner of Chelsea against Manchester United will probably go onto win the league. United whipped out a 4-0 thrashing of Bolton over the weekend, which also proves they are in fine form and scoring plenty of goals as well.