opponents who often claim that Lionel Messi will be stressed
if he plays in the Premier League; they may have to reconsider their belief
about the Argentine who just seems to love scoring against English teams.
“He shows in every game why he is Messi. His average
performance is this type of game,” Spurs
boss Mauricio Pochettino submitted after his compatriot powered Barcelona to a
4-2 victory over Tottenham in their Champions League group game at Wembley on
Wednesday.
With his two goals at Wembley on Wednesday, the 31-year-old
has scored 22 goals and delivered six assists in 28 games against England’s
finest – more than he has against clubs from any other country.
See Lionel Messi’s numbers against English teams below and
see just why his name strikes more fear into them; especially Arsenal who he
has scored 9 goals against.
Lionel Messi versus English clubs
Club
Appearances Goals Assists
Arsenal
6 9 1
Chelsea
10 3 3
Liverpool
2 0 0
Man City
6 6 2
Man Utd
4 2 0
Tottenham 1
2 0
Messi’s magic against English clubs in the Champions League
Barcelona 2-0 Man Utd, 2008-09 final
Before Ronaldo made his move from Manchester United to Real
Madrid, duels between him and Messi were limited to the Champions League.
Here, in a Rome final billed as a contest between the two
and as United tried to retain their crown, Barcelona were inspired by Messi,
who capped his performance with a stunning headed goal.
Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal (6-3 agg) 2009-10 quarter-finals
Arsenal actually led this tie 3-2 thanks to a Nicklas
Bendtner goal in the Nou Camp, only for the Gunners to be dumped out by Messi’s
individual brilliance.
The Argentine scored all four of Barca’s goals. The third, a
sublime chip, had fans bowing in reverence, while the fourth, a surging run,
confirmed his reputation as an unstoppable force.
Barcelona 3-1 Man Utd, 2010-11 final
Two years on, against the same opponents but this time at
Wembley, Messi again inspired Barca to yet another Champions League success.
The Argentine danced around the famous stadium and, when
United found hope at 1-1, it was Messi who snuffed it out with a powerful
drive.
Barcelona 4-0 Man City, 2016-17 group stage
As Pep Guardiola returned to his old club for the first time
as Manchester City manager, Messi was just returning from a groin injury. It
did not stop him.
Messi had already waltzed through the City defence by the
time the visitors were reduced to 10 men. His second was a curling left-footed
finish and the hat-trick was completed with a predator’s tap-in.
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