After going two goals down I feared it would become embarrassing, but there were aspects of the final result that give some cause for thinking this tie is not over yet. And blind unthinking optimism isn't one of them.

First off, Barca had fifteen men on the pitch in the first half. Don't argue, I'm pretty certain of that. I have never seen an Arsenal team so out-played, out-muscled and out-desired, yes, but out-played no. It was fantastic to watch in a train wreck kind of way, and for all that we can do that to other teams in the Prem, it showed how much we still have to learn. Guardiola said afterwards that it was the best he had ever seen Barca play. Now actually that perversely gives us some hope. If that's the best they have, and they still couldn't win, then what if they don't play the best they can next week?

What definitely wasn't working was that until Theo came on, we didn't have sufficient pace on the wing to worry them. So as a consequence their wingback's were forever bombing down the wings and giving us all kinds of problems. It their defence can have doubt in it's corporate mind that they will be punished if they go too gung-ho then it's going to help our cause. So how about we have Theo and Vela on the wings for next Tuesday? Personally I don't think Theo's strength is crossing, apart from anything else, the rest of the team can't seem to keep up when he switches the after-burners on. So why not play him on the left and let him cut in on his right foot and try some shooting. It's not as if we don't have proof of it's effectiveness.

Something else that gives us some hope is that Barca are not going to just defend. Guardiola has already said as much. So two away goals isn't so much of a deal. If we are going to have any chance of going through, we are going to have to match them goal for goal. I'm guessing the minimum they will score is two, so it's either penalties or we score more away goals. Their defence is not great, and will be lacking it's two first choice centre backs, so that makes it more likely in my opinion. OK there's a lot of imponderables in that lot, but I still think it's not hopelessly optimistic to see some chance for us back in Barcelona.

There's been a certain amount of mud-slinging over their goals. I think there were extenuating circumstances. I don't think Almunia had gone AWOL for their first, the defence was not covering the ball over the top and he obviously thought he therefore had to do something. The lob was about perfect, I don't think Almunia bears as much blame as has been suggested for it. Don't forget we were playing a zonal marking system with two centre backs who have barely played as a pair before. The fact that the ball was played between them was going to cause problems. It could have been dealt with better but it's not too surprising that it wasn't.

Having come out for the first, Manuel stayed at home for the second and was beaten by a ferocious shot. The suggestion that Almunia should have done better could only have come from seeing the replay in slo-mo, look at the shot in real time and he really didn't have much of a chance. Considering his display in the first half, it's obvious that he is an exceptional shot-stopper when he just has to react rather than make a decision. But I was pleased to see our defence diving all over the shop to block shots when Manuel couldn't get to them. Yes Barca could have scored a lot more than they did, but let's not suggest it was purely because of their inability to put their chances away. Some of the defending would have made Adams and Co. proud.

What can we say about Cesc, was Arsène right to make him captain or what? For all those who honestly thought he wanted to play for Barca more than Arsenal, I hope you were watching. That night he passed from hero into legend and is right up there in the pantheon of Arsenal greats even at such a young age. I can only hope that the rest of the squad take something from the level of commitment and pure guts he showed and try to emulate it. To be sure we have a task on, but it's not impossible.

In the meantime we have the issue of Wolves. Now with the other two playing each other a win is the only possible result. If we can put eleven men out, those eleven have to show pride and fight and pray to God that Wolves don't decide that 'getting in our faces' is the only way to play or we'll have yet another broken leg. In fairness, I don't expect them to. It would be inappropriate to make some crack about us being down to the bare bones now. We have done so well against the odds to get where we are, I just hope we don't have our mental strength tested in the wrong way. I know it's not Barca and all, but maybe we can remember what the Emirates was like on Wednesday and try for that again? "Victory Comes From Harmony". Together we can win it.