London club secured a sensational victory over the Catalans with a 4-0 scoreline at the Emirates
Arsenal achieved one of the season's most resounding triumphs by crushing Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Bukayo Saka's hat-trick and Martin Ødegaard's goal gave the Londoners a decisive advantage ahead of the return leg.
A historic evening at the Emirates.
Arsenal showcased a flawless performance against the tournament favorite. Saka scored the first goal just 12 minutes in, outplaying ter Stegen after a precise pass from Odegaard. By halftime, the score was 2-0 thanks to a long-range strike from the Norwegian midfielder.
We knew we could beat Barcelona if we played with full focus. Today the team showed fantastic character.
— Микель Артета, главный тренер Арсенала
Xavi's tactical failure
Barcelona looked helpless in attack, failing to land a single shot on target. The Catalan defense kept making mistakes when playing out from the back, which Arsenal took full advantage of. Saka completed the rout with a hat-trick in the 67th and 82nd minutes.
The return match will take place in a week at Camp Nou, where Barcelona will need a miracle. The last time the Catalans lost by such a scoreline in the Champions League was in 2017 against PSG.