Arsenal vs Barcelona: Arsene Wenger calls on his side to work as a team in order to beat La Liga leaders

The Gunners boss believes 'resilience, great solidarity and intelligence' can help his side overcome the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (Getty Images)

Arsene Wenger has called on his Arsenal players to work as a team in order to overcome the supreme attacking talents of Barcelona.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, collectively known as the ‘MSN’, will line up at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night for their Champions League round-of-16 first leg having scored 91 goals across all competitions already this season.

The La Liga leaders knocked Arsenal out at this stage of Europe’s premier club competition in 2009/10 and 2010/11, as well as defeating them in the 2006 final in Paris.

“I know that individually MSN have exceptional talent,” Wenger said. “The only way we can beat them is collectively. Resilience, great solidarity, intelligence as well.”

Arsenal go into the game having failed to progress past Hull City in a home FA Cup tie at the Emirates on Saturday, which saw Steve Bruce’s Tigers claim a goalless draw and a replay.

However, when questioned how he could expect his side to beat Barcelona when they struggled against an opponent from the division below, the Frenchman cited his team’s ‘focus’ as a key factor.

“It’s more difficult to prepare for Hull than it is for Barcelona. Against Barcelona, everyone is focused,” he claimed.

“Tomorrow, everyone is convinced that we need to be totally focused to have a chance and that’s what I try to raise. Belief, confidence, let’s go for it.

“Of course, our world is not perfect, no team is perfect,” he added. “Barcelona aren’t far from it but we must use every moment in the game that we have to chance to score. Against Hull, we had much of the ball but did not make the most of it. Against Barcelona we will not have as much of the ball but we will need to more of it.

Gunners’ goalkeeper Petr Cech is one of the few in world football to have faced up to Barcelona’s Messi and not conceded.

The Argentinian forward has drawn a blank on each of the eight occasions that he has faced Cech, which Wenger believes will give confidence to his first-choice stopper.

“I hope that will give Cech a lot of confidence and will keep [Messi] quiet,” he said. “I hope that he will have a little complex and the history will play for us and against Messi.”