Arsene Wenger put it out there and the room had to stop to take it in - it was easier to prepare his players to face Barcelona than Hull.

It was one of those bizarre scratch your head remarks from the Arsenal manager in the build-up to a huge Champions League showdown against Europe’s most feared opponents.

But Wenger made a solid argument because he knows his players need no extra motivation to be fired up to face the footballing magicians of Catalonia.

In fact, Wenger even admitted he would probably need to have a “little word” with Alexis Sanchez to calm him down before kickoff.

In pictures – Arsenal train for Tuesday:

It will be a season-defining game, a huge one for Wenger who knows he must defy history, logic and Europe’s deadliest strike force if Arsenal are to progress into the quarter finals for the first time in six years.

“Honestly, of course the difficulty of the task is completely different but it is more difficult to prepare against Hull than Barcelona, because against Barcelona everyone is naturally focused,” said Wenger.

“It is more to create belief and confidence, because Barcelona are super-favourites in this game. Against Hull it was more to raise the urgency level and convince everybody that it was a very difficult game.

In pictures – Hull hold Arsenal:

“Tomorrow everyone is convinced that we absolutely need to have, as a squad, total focus to have a chance and that is what I try to raise. Belief, confidence and let’s go for it.”

No-one will need convincing of the size of the task facing Arsenal. Barcelona have gone 143 days and 32 games since their last defeat.

Arsenal have played them seven times, managed just one win - in February 2011 when Andrey Arshavin scored the winner - but still went out in the Nou Camp after losing the second leg.

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The Champions League is still Wenger’s Holy Grail, he has never won it, coming closest in 2006 when they lost the final to Barcelona and, in the following ten years, Arsenal have become also-rans in the competition.

But now, finally, after the barren years when paying off the mortgage at the Emirates took priority over star signings, Wenger is building a team he believes can compete again for the Premier League and yet even he admits it will be much harder in Europe.

They have beaten Bayern Munich at the Emirates, but were thrashed 5-1 in the return leg. Arsenal are still a work in progress.

Wenger’s best hopes are that Barcelona have an off night, Sanchez gains revenge on his old team and Arsenal find the perfect balance between attack and defence to keep out the deadly trio.

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Remember me? Sanchez is facing his former club (
Image:
Getty)

“We need a top level team performance where everybody is spot on in the discipline and is sharp physically, ready to work for the team,” said Wenger.

“If everyone does that then maybe Alexis can make the difference but it’s not especially on him. We need all our players. He will be fired up, but that doesn’t mean he will be in the right zone.

“Sometimes when you are too focused, you are not relaxed. Sometimes when you play against your former club you are not necessarily in that zone. (I will have) a little word, yes.

“We can do very well in the Champions League. We must put what we need into this game - a lot of commitment and determination. We managed that against Bayern and that will help us to win tomorrow.

“Individually Barcelona have exceptional talent. The only way we can do it is by being collectively resilient, having great solidarity and intelligence as well. Let’s not forget we have a good defensive record and a great goalkeeper as well.

“No team is perfect. But they are not far from it, Barca, I must say! We have to use every moment in the game where we have the chance to score.

“As I said after the Hull game, we had 70 per cent of the time the ball but we didn’t make a lot of it. Against Barcelona we will have the ball far less and we will have to make more of it.”

Wenger clearly feels lessons can be learned from Hull. It will be a very different experience against Barcelona. But it’s worth remembering that Arsenal keeper Petr Cech has never conceded against Lionel Messi. He will have to maintain that record for Arsenal to stand a chance.

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