• Champions League

I expected better from negative Arsenal - Xavi

Xavi scored Barcelona's important second goal © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: We didn't work hard enough - Almunia
  
• News: Wilshere turns to title race
  
• News: Fabregas accepts 'full blame' for Barca loss
  
• News: Van Persie labels red card 'a joke'
  
• Match report: Van Persie shocker sees Barcelona beat Arsenal
  
• Profile: Xavi

Xavi has offered an uncompromising appraisal of Arsenal's performance in their 3-1 defeat to Barcelona on Tuesday night, saying he was disappointed by the lack of intent shown by the Gunners.

Arsenal failed to muster a single shot at Camp Nou as they were eliminated 4-3 on aggregate, the first time a team has failed to do so since Opta's Champions League records began in 2003.

While their goal came from a Sergio Busquets own goal, Lionel Messi scored twice - once with an exquisite goal and once from the penalty spot - with Xavi himself also on target as Barcelona progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger felt aggrieved at a second yellow card shown to Robin van Persie when he was adjudged to have kicked the ball away after referee Massimo Busacca whistled, but Xavi felt the decision to dismiss the Dutchman was the correct one.

Barca's captain for the night was also surprised by the overly-cautious approach of an Arsenal side that won the first leg 2-1 thanks to some expert counter-attacking.

"This is a fair result," Xavi told the club's official website. "We were the superior team both in the away game and at home. There's justice in football. They had clearly come here to defend. They didn't even have one single shot on goal. I expected a lot more from them to be honest.

"[Javier] Mascherano and [Sergio] Busquets are simply amazing for the team, while Leo [Messi] once again stepped up to make the difference. The only thing that could have been better was our finishing. We should have scored more and we suffered too much. We could have killed the game a lot sooner.

"Arsenal really didn't want to play football. All they cared about was defending. The red card did affect the game, but the decision was right in my opinion."

Team-mate Dani Alves praised Arsenal's opposition - calling it the sternest he had faced in Europe this season - but believes Lionel Messi once again proved himself to be the difference.

"Perhaps this was our most difficult game so far in the Champions League this season but we have Messi and he's on a superior level to anyone else," Alves said. "He's our genius, the guy who pulls us through tough games and he's done it again.

"He wasn't alone, we all know that Messi was accompanied by a great team tonight but he's the perfect complement to our work."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.