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Arsenal traveled to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona on Sunday night for the Joan Gamper trophy. For the Gunners, the game marked the final preparatory fixture ahead of a long and exciting Premier League season. Barcelona though have a couple of weeks more until the La Liga starts.
Besides being a matchup between two old foes, the game was also a clash of wits between two managers who under-achieved last season.
Unai Emery managed to pull Arsenal through to the final of the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League, but his team was convincingly defeated by a spirited Chelsea side. The Gunners finished 5th in the Premier League table.
Ernesto Valverde fared a tad better with Barcelona, managing to win the league by a mile, but his wards faltered in both the UEFA Champions League as well as the Copa del Rey finals. The Spaniard will be hoping that the upcoming season will yield success on the European front and as such, this game was a good test of his squad's depth.
Valderde started with Neto in goal, while Nelson Semedo, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Jordi Alba made up the back four. In the midfield, he stationed Frenkie de Jong alongside Ivan Rakitic and Riqui Puig.
The front three comprised of Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Carles Perez.
The Catalans started the game strong, but it was the Premier League side who took the lead through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 36th minute. Valverde made a host of changes during the break and in the second half, but Barcelona required an own goal from Ainsley Maitland-Niles to draw level.
Just when it looked like the game would go to penalties, Luiz Suarez scored the winner with probably the last kick of the ball.
On a night where Barcelona were missing quite a few of their first team members, these five men were instrumental in winning the game for the Catalans.
#5 Gerard Pique
The Spaniard looked at home right from the start of the game and handled Arsenal's attack with ease. Aubameyang got little joy out of him, as Pique rarely gave the Gabon international any room to maneuver a chance. There was nothing much he could do about the goal though, as Samuel Umtiti and Jordi Alba were caught out of position.
Despite conceding the goal, Pique was strong at the back and looked very comfortable on the ball. He is yet to regain full fitness ahead of the season, but Pique gave a fine account of himself on the night.
#4 Nelson Semedo
Nelson Semedo was chosen to start at the right back position and he had a stellar outing against a pacy Gunners side. The Portuguese made great use of his speed and skills to stay a step ahead of the opposition.
He was composed at the back, and adventurous in attack. Semedo formed a great understanding with Ousmane Dembele on the right, and the two of them regularly combined to cause the Arsenal defense trouble.
Whenever the Catalans had the ball, Semedo bombed forward without invitation. He was always available for a pass and was a tireless runner down the right hand side.
He probably needs to work on his final ball, but the lack of accuracy and precision is understandable in pre-season.
As Arsenal tried to catch the home side on the counter, Semedo's speed came in handy. The Portuguese religiously tracked back and shut the gate through his side of the pitch. Valverde should be pleased with his efforts.
#3 Ousmane Dembele
With Malcolm departing for Zenit St. Petersburg this summer, it is time for Ousmane Dembele to stake a claim for a permanent place in the first XI. The Frenchman is a fantastic talent, but his lack of consistency has hurt his chances at Barcelona.
Dembele has a tendency to blow hot and cold in the same game, and that is something Valverde will be desperate to improve. Against Arsenal though, there were very few complaints.
The Frenchman started from the right and blazed through the wings at times. His speed is frightening, but Dembele's abilities on the ball can also give defenders nightmares.
Time and again he went past two or three men as if they were not even on the field. He showed exceptional ball control, a desire to run at the defense and a growing relationship with Nelson Semedo.
Dembele still needs to work on his finishing, but the Frenchman was Barcelona's biggest threat on the night.
#2 Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez started from the bench against Arsenal, as Valverde opted to ease his key men into the pre-season preparations. However, his absence on the field was evident, as the Catalans lacked that attacking edge in the final third.
When he is in the team, Suarez is the focal point of attack that binds the whole team together. It is only fair that the Uruguayan had a telling contribution to the game after coming off the bench.
As soon as he entered the ground, one could sense a bit of nervousness in the Arsenal defense. Suarez ran the channels well, his acute turns opened up the defense and he came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. The big break was always just around the corner.
When it looked like the game was destined for penalties, Sergi Roberto sent in a gorgeous ball into the box. Suarez ran between two defenders and unleashed a perfect volley in perhaps the last kick of the game. It was 2-1 to Barcelona and a trophy to their name.
#1 Frenkie de Jong
His arrival at the Camp Nou is supposed to mark the start of a new era, as Barcelona attempt to redefine their midfield. Frenkie de Jong is the perfect candidate for the job, as he showed at Ajax last season. Against Arsenal too, the Dutchman was brilliant in the middle of the park.
De Jong started the game in a deeper role, and it was from here that he orchestrated the proceedings for the Catalans. He kept the ball moving, switched play and displayed his wide range of passing. On the few occasions that he ventured forward, De Jong's eye for the pass was visible.
The Dutchman showed great composure and maturity in the middle of the park, and the Gunners midfield found it very hard to stand up against him. De Jong was rightly adjudged the star of the match, and just the thought of him teaming up with Lionel Messi should make fans count the days to the start of the season.
