Arsenal vs Barcelona preview: Thierry Henry tells Barca how to beat the Gunners - stop Mesut Ozil

Frenchman played for both clubs during illustrious career

Monday 22 February 2016 19:18 GMT

Sky Sports pair Jamie Redknapp and Jamie Carragher flank Thierry Henry (Getty)

Thierry Henry has given former club Barcelona some tips on how to stop his other former club, Arsenal.

The Frenchman, who won two Premier League titles and two La Liga titles, said that Arsenal will be "practically dead" if Barcelona can stop German playmaker Mesut Ozil.

Henry, who won three FA Cups with the Gunners and the Copa Del Rey, Club World Cup and Champions League with Barcelona, also said that Arsenal have improved in recent years and become more resilient.

"I think Arsenal are going to play the way they played against Bayern Munich at home," he told the Barcelona website. http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/thierry-henry-talks-about-the-keys-to-fc-barcelona-v-arsenal

"They're going to defend and try to score on the counter-attack and then see what they can do because it's not so easy to control the ball against Barcelona... they have to do something at home if they want to have a chance at the Nou Camp because I know how it is there.

"It's going to be very difficult for my team, Arsenal, but also I really love Barca. It's very difficult. I see Barca winning. It's not going to be easy but I see Barca going through."

Henry, who is now a TV pundit, said the biggest difference with Arsenal this season is that they are able to defend and play on the counter-attack.

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

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1/12Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Goalkeeper

Petr Cech beats Claudio Bravo to the number one jersey. Cech has kept more clean sheets (12 to 11), however Bravo has conceded fewer goals per game (0.62 to 0.88). Cech fights back with more saves per game (3.3 to 3), but Bravo boasts more saves per goal (4.8 to 3.7). Cech goes on to lead for catches (2.1 to 1.6) and punches (0.5 to 0.2) per game.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Left-Back

Nacho Monreal comfortably claims the left-back spot over Jordi Alba. On a per game basis, Monreal has won more tackles (1.7 to 1.2), made more interceptions (2.9 to 2.1), more blocks (0.3 to 0.2) and more clearances (3.6 to 2.4). The 29-year-old also dominates his Spanish counterpart offensively having completed more successful dribbles (0.5 to 0.2) and created more chances (0.9 to 0.5) per game.

2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Centre-Back

Laurent Koscielny has statistically outperformed Javier Mascherano this season. The Arsenal man has made more interceptions (3.7 to 1.9), more blocks (0.9 to 0.5), more clearances (6 to 2) and has won more aerial duels (2.7 to 1.1) per game. Mascherano boasts more tackles won per game (1.8 to 0.9) and the superior tackle success rate (51 to 37 per cent).

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Centre-Back

Gerard Pique narrowly edges Per Mertesacker for the second centre-back spot. On a per game basis, Piqué has made more successful tackles (1.2 to 1.1), more interceptions (2.2 to 1.3) and more blocks (0.6 to 0.4). While Mertesacker has made more clearances per game (5 to 4.4) and boasts the better tackle success rate (71 to 58 per cent). The duo cannot be separated aerially having each won an average of 2.2 aerial duels per game.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Right-Back

Hector Bellerin shades the right-back spot from Dani Alves. The duo are inseparable for tackles won (1.3 to 1.3), interceptions (1.9 to 1.9) and blocks (0.2 to 0.2) per game. The Arsenal full-back has made more clearances (3.2 to 1.4) and successfully completed more dribbles (1.5 to 0.9) per game. While Alves has created more chances per game (0.8 to 0.6).

2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Defensive Midfielder

Francis Coquelin has overshadowed Sergio Busquets statistically this season. The Barcelona midfielder may have created more chances per game (0.6 to 0.2) and matched Coquelin for blocks per game (0.2), but the Frenchman has led the way in every other key area this season. Coquelin has a better pass completion rate (90 to 89 per cent), has won more tackles (2.3 to 2), made more interceptions (2.3 to 2) and more clearances (1 to 0.8) per game

2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Central Midfielder

Aaron Ramsey has justified why Barcelona were linked with a move for the Welshman, dominating Ivan Rakitić in a host of key areas this season. The 25-year-old has completed more successful passes (59 to 43), created more chances (1.4 to 1), more key passes (1.3 to 1) and has won more tackles (1.9 to 1.2) per game. Ramsey has also registered more assists (3 to 0) and more goals (4 to 3).

2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Playmaker

Mesut Ozil gets the better of Andres Iniesta in the playmaker role. The players share the same pass completion rate (88 per cent), while Iniesta has made more successful passes per game (61 to 53). However, the German has led every other key stat this term. Ozil has created more chances (4.4 to 1.3) and made more key passes (3.7 to 1.2) per game. He has also registered more assists (17 to 1) and scored more goals (4 to 1).

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Left Forward

Neymar comfortably takes the left-sided forward spot from Alexis Sánchez. The Chilean edges pass completion (81 to 80 per cent), but then the Brazilian takes over. Neymar has made more key passes (2.8 to 1.8), created more chances (3.2 to 1.8) and has completed more successful dribbles (4.6 to 3.2) per game. He has also scored more goals (18 to 6) and recorded more assists (9 to 1).

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Right Forward

Lionel Messi unsurprisingly beats Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the right-sided forward spot. Messi has scored more goals (15 to 1), registered more assists (7 to 0), made more key passes (1.5 to 0.9), created more chances (1.9 to 0.9) and completed more dribbles (4.1 to 1.6) per game. Chamberlain fights back with the better pass completion rate (82 to 81 per cent).

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

Centre-Forward

Luis Suarez dominates Olivier Giroud in every key area. The Uruguay international has scored more goals (25 to 12), enjoyed a better shot accuracy (57 to 54 per cent) and a better conversion rate (28 to 16 per cent) from a higher number of shots per game (3.8 to 3). Suarez comes out on top creatively too. He has created more chances per game (1.4 to 0.9) and has registered more assists (10 to 4).

Arsenal vs Barcelona combined XI

OULALA

"They really fight. I think before, Arsenal weren't able to win if they didn't play well," added Henry. "This year they win without playing well and sometimes without even having the ball. It happened against Bayern Munich. It happened against Manchester City. It happened against Manchester United."

Henry was also full of praise for Ozil, who has six goals and 17 assists in an impressive season.

"Now you have to try and stop Mesut Ozil. Because he is now doing incredible things too. He has a ton of assists... He is playing very, very well. He is playing the way he was playing at Real Madrid. He had to very difficult seasons but right now he's playing very well. If you can stop Mesut Ozil, Arsenal are practically dead."

He also said fans couldn't understand why Barcelona ever got rid of Alexis Sanchez.

"It's the same Alexis that was at Barca. Fighting, running, scoring goals, leaving it all out on the field for his team. People love him here. The people here don't understand why Barca let him leave. But when you have Suarez, Neymar, Messi, it's understandable."

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