Genuine Contenders

Arsenal outclassed and outplayed Juventus on Tuesday night in the Champions League QF 1st Leg. It ended 2-0 and Juve ended with 9 men. (Is Camoranesi mental?!) As my dad said.. 'They were lucky to get 0'.

Arsenal made Juventus, the Italian Champions who are currently 8 points clear at the top of Serie A, look pedestrian. There was a point, midway through the second half when Juve's players were WALKING.

They were beaten men. Beaten men, beaten by boys.

I have rarely felt such unadulterated joy at a result, I had cautious optimism but to be perfectly honest expected Juve to score and the game to be a lot tenser. To be in this position is a dream. However we still have work to do and there is another big game on Saturday so now is not the time for reflection. But in not wanting to undermine the result, the fact is we might have made another chapter of history for the club with this result.

It was poetic. Vieira and Fabregas head to head. Fabregas dominating the midfield with his hard work, clever forward runs, perpetual motion, slick passing and angle creation.

Vieira didn't look interested. Not up for the battle, maybe he has had it too easy in Italy?

Pires won the ball off him with a sliding tackle in the build up for the first goal, that was like a snapshot of the game. In that one moment Pires showed his desire, and encapsulated the performances of the 2 teams. The likeable Frenchman saying "I am delighted with the tackle on Patrick Vieira - it is the first time I have done that in my 13-year career and it led to the first goal. I even surprised myself by doing it!"

Arsenal looked sharp and committed all over the pitch and after they tuned their game to the slick surface we looked as good as Juve were non existent and laissez faire.

I thought this is the European Cup Quarter Final, how can Juve show so little desire and ambition?

Juventus looked like they had accepted defeat when things didn't go their way and after the first goal never offered anything. I am proud to be an Arsenal fan, none more so than Tuesday night, but Juve fans cannot have been proud of their team after that.

I cannot single anyone out, there was not a weak performance in the entire team. The attitude of the team was spot on, concentration high, organisation, commitment, desire, pace, intelligence, calmness under pressure and a sense of team spirit and discipline that Juventus lacked.

The smile on Cesc's face at the end summed it all up. The realisation kicked in, it was a genuine smile which said, wow I knew we are improving but I didn't expect to dominate a side as big as this like that. I think it was the realisation, for all of the promise we have shown and all of the talk about a parallel with Liverpool of last season, for the first time, Cesc knows we have a genuine chance of winning the Champions League.