Leo Messi has never played in the Premier League. However, the little genius has still managed to torment and destroy all Premier League giants for over a decade in the Champions League. Leo has dismantled Arsenal, humbled the legendary team of Man Utd, and silenced the Premier League fans numerous times. Let’s go back and revisit his most iconic performances.
Arsenal’s Nightmare: Messi’s 4-Goal Masterclass
April 6, 2010. Gunner fans still have PTSD whenever they think of this date. A young, 21-year-old Leo Messi announced himself to the English terrain with four ruthless goals at the Camp Nou. The goals humiliated Arsenal as Messi completed a 42-minute hat-trick and scored his 4th late in the second half.
The third goal, which chipped the Arsenal goalie Manuel Alumnia from an utterly impossible angle, was pure arrogance by Leo. The Arsenal defence collapsed and was all over the place. However, this certainly did not mean that it was bad defending. Messi’s agonizingly vicious dribbling and genius were simply unstoppable that day. While some say Messi’s 2011 final performance was better, I believe if sheer brilliance is kept in regard, this game remains unmatched.
When Messi Outshone Ronaldo in Their Defining UCL Clash
The 2009 and 2011 UCL finals should have been Cristiano Ronaldo’s chance to prove his superiority over Leo. Instead, Leo proved that he is simply the greater player by dominating both finales in ruthless fashion. The brilliant header goal against Van der Sar, which Messi states as his greatest goal ever, showed his ability to win any battle.
Although Cristiano managed to score in 2009, it was Messi whose influence decided both games against Manchester United. Messi’s Barca demolished Sir Alex Ferguson’s mighty Manchester United not once but twice on the biggest stage of all. These matches not only gave Barca two UCL trophies but also settled debates about who truly ruled that era.
How the Blues Suffered (and Survived) Against Messi’s Magic
No team frustrated Leo more than the Premier League’s West London team, Chelsea. The physicality, discipline and the wall: Petr Cech, all became a tough nut to crack for Messi. Leo faced Chelsea 8 times in the UCL until the 2017/18 season, and was unsuccessful in opening his scoring account. The brilliant performances were overlooked, as Leo was tagged a failure against the Blues by the biased English press.
Yet La Pulga’s 2018 Camp Nou brace against Courtois, and the iconic near-post curler at Stamford Bridge, finally gave him the revenge of the past. These couple of games did not correct Messi’s long list of failures against Chelsea, but the tag of “Messi cant beat the Blues” was finally put to bed.
Messi Deserved More From Anfield 2019
Whenever I think of Messi against Liverpool, my heart just shatters. That freekick. That celebration. Messi’s 2019 first-leg performance at Camp Nou was simply perfection. But the miss in the final minutes by Dembele was an early warning that disaster is on the horizon.
And then the Anfield disaster happened. The collapse was never Leo’s fault (he was Barca’s best player on the pitch). But the backlash was entirely upon Leo. It still remains football’s cruellest twist that his masterpiece was simply erased by one chaotic night.
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