Wenger has his eyes on Barca stars

ARSENE WENGER rushed through his post-match media duties on Saturday, so eager was he to watch Barcelona play Las Palmas on TV.

Yet the Arsenal manager did not do it just to see Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Neymar & Co rack up yet another win as they made it 32 games unbeaten, setting a club record. He did it as homework, knowing he has to try to tame football’s greatest front three in the Champions League last 16 tomorrow.

Wenger was watching the week before too, when Messi gave up his 300th goal in La Liga to let Suarez score, and that two-person penalty reminded him why he tried to sign the former Liverpool striker three years ago.

‘When you see someone like Messi who could score his 300th goal give the ball to Suarez, that means there’s really something in there. Camaraderie. I believe Suarez gives that to a team. He did it at Liverpool. He did it for Uruguay playing with Cavani and Forlan. They played together and it worked. Suarez is the kind of guy who manages to create that spirit in teams.

‘We have to keep him quiet on Tuesday night. We have to analyse what we do and do it well and together. Individually all their players are difficult to stop. We have to find a way to do it collectively.’

Barcelona score for fun, unlike Arsenal who failed to find a goal against the Championship’s top side on Saturday, though that was down to Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic’s heroics. Arsenal were favourites in the FA Cup but tomorrow’s tie against the team that beat them in the 2006 Champions League final sees them go in as underdogs.

The draw with Hull adds another fixture to an already hectic schedule that is set to see the Gunners play six games in three different competitions in March.