"He made the impossible possible": Messi v Arsenal 2010

Following his move to PSG after eighteen years a Barcelona, we revisit one of Messi's greatest moments, as well as one of the greatest individual performances the sport ever saw.

Lionel Messi has become synonymous with the word 'GOAT' over recent years. Very few people who are deemed 'GOATs' are actually 'GOATs' ('GOAT' meaning Greatest Of All Time for those who don't spend too much time on football twitter). Of course this is subjective, but it's would be very difficult to argue against Messi being the best footballer in history, especially now with his Copa America win this summer. But where did these claims about Messi begin? When did be become a contender for GOAT status? Arguably, it was his Champions League quarter final performance against Arsenal in 2010. Back when Champions League football wasn't a dream for Arsenal, Messi put in one of the greatest individual performances in the sports history, scoring four to put Barcelona into the semi finals.

At this point, the twenty-two year old had been on fire in La Liga, scoring 26 and assisting 9 goals. Phenomenal for any player at any point in a season (fairly average for Messi over his career to date), so he was massively in form coming into this second leg tie against Arsenal, especially considering his consecutive hattricks in the league against Valencia and Real Zaragoza just a few weeks before. Little did we know Messi would surpass his record in these matches.

However, Barca find themselves 1-0 down following a Bendtner opener in the 18th minute. Pep's men inevitably strike back. Messi doesn't just score four goals, he dictates the game while displaying his numerous world class attributes. His first goal for instance. His short pass to Pedro around the final third of the pitch, Messi floats centrally in expectation of the pass back, which of course comes, Messi is a magnet to the ball. His pass through the centre of the Arsenal defence pinballs back to the Argentine whose quick thinking determines a shot from the middle of the D is his best option. He makes the two yards of space he's given look like twenty. Left foot, laces. 1-1.

His control of the game shows his mastery, his ability to slow down the play with a short back pass allowing his team to advance up the pitch. Quick bursts of pace and rapid deceleration, making Denilson and Walcott look amateurish as he darts past them like a dragonfly.

What seems most remarkable about Messi is his ability to vanish on the football pitch. As in, at least to the defenders, he can't be seen, reappearing when he choses. The magician puts the rabbit in the hat, the audience knows its there, but cannot see it. Abracadabra. Messi's ball to Abidal. The rabbit disappears. Abidal's Cross. Deflection. Pedro. Abracadabra again. Despite knowing it will reappear, the audience only realise how the trick is done until it's too late. The rabbit reappears with a long touch into the box, shoots. 2-1.

The sword is to Arsenal's throat now, Messi intends to shed blood. Marquez switches the ball across, won by Vermaelen, picked up by Keita. Messi waits, holding his run as the header drifts in. Onside. Messi becomes an outlaw on the last stretch of highway to freedom, a swarm of hopeless north London police chase him down, but it's too late. A soft agonisingly slow chip over the futile Almunia as Messi escapes to freedom past the boarder. 3-1.

One of Messi's most curious and attractive attributes is his ability to just stand still on the pitch. He allows the game to unfold around him. He creates his own space by letting everyone else to the hard work until he deems it necessary to have his decisive impact. This vanishing act, which this game has already proven to be effective, makes opposition players take no notice of him, too focused on the kinetic action, not the potential action. 'Potential energy is a type of energy an object has because of its position. A boulder on top of a hill has a lot of potential energy because it could roll down pretty fast at any moment'. No matter Messi's position, whether he's standing still, walking, jogging, you can feel his potential energy, yet can anticipate when it will fall. He could roll down the hill whenever he choses.

Half time and Barca sit comfortably 5-3 on aggregate. 'The job isn't over' Guardiola says (I'd assume). The boulder wants to drop just one more time. 88th minute the ball falls to Xavi, Messi in acres of space fooling Arsenal's offside trap. Xavi passes, the boulder drops. Messi sprints, turns Eboué into grass, skips passed Vermaelen and shoots. 'Made you look' Messi thinks. Ball deflects back. He stops, time stops, he waits, shoots. 4-1.

Greatest of all time? His name was certainly thrown into the hat after this magic show, if it wasn't already in there before. "He made the impossible possible' notes a defeated but accepting Wenger after the match. Inevitability is hard to come by in football. Messi on his day, on the big stage, when it matters is almost always inevitable.