Football: Arsenal v Barcelona in the Champions League

Barcelona fans gather outside the Emirates ahead of kick-off. The holders and three-times winners of Europe's premier club competition are here to face the team they defeated in the 2006 final, Arsenal Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Former Gunner Thierry Henry is returning to the club where he spent eight years and the Frenchman is sure to receive a warm welcome from the home fans Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Henry is cast as Jimmy Cliff in this peculiar banner - a tribute to the 1972 film The Harder They Come starring the reggae musician. Incidentally, two different versions of that film were released each with a different ending. After the disappointment of the 2006 final, Arsenal will be hoping to script a positive conclusion to this latest clash with Barca Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Inside the ground, Arsenal's fans make themselves heard Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Arsene Wenger greets Pep Guardiola before the game. Guardiola has lifted six trophies since becoming the Barca coach; Wenger has lifted none in the past five years Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk England boss Fabio Capello finds cause for amusement in the director's box Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Henry, on the other hand, looks peeved to be on the bench Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Barcelona make a stunning start to the match, slicing Arsenal's defence apart with baleful repetition. Zlatan Ibrahimovic misses a sitter as keeper Manuel Almunia performs heroics in the Arsenal goal Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Another chance, another miss ... Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Former Barca youth team-mates Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas are now at odds. Here, Messi glides away from Fabregas Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Wenger implores his team to wake up and close the opposition down Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Nicklas Bendtner is challenged by Carlos Puyol Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk William Gallas is carried off injured and replaced by Denilson shortly before the break. Somehow it's goalless at half-time. Barcelona have been sublime, but they've lacked a finishing touch Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Seconds after the restart, Barcelona finally find a breakthrough ... Ibrahimovic lobs Almunia after the Spaniard's foolish positioning left him stranded yards from goal Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Ibrahimovic then adds a second goal in the 59th minute with a thumping shot, prompting celebrations from the Barca keeper Victor Valdes Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Dani Alves flies into a tackle on Samir Nasri Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Emmanuel Eboue gives Barcelona's Pedro an eyeful Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk With Arsenal chasing the game, Fabregas makes a forceful tackle on Sergio Busquets Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk ... he puts his head to his hands as he realises the fate that awaits him ... Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk ... the referee reaches into his pocket for a yellow card - a booking which means Fabregas will miss the return leg at the Nou Camp next week. It's a devastating blow for the Spaniard who would have loved the opportunity to play at the ground where he might once have become an idol Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Substitute Theo Walcott brings Arsenal back into the game in the 69th minute following a darting run and low shot Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Then, five minutes from time, Cesc Fabregas tangles with Carlos Puyol and the Arsenal captain goes down. It looks soft - if anything, Fabregas seemed to clip Puyol as he swung for the ball - but the referee has awarded a penalty and Fabregas gets up to take it ... Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk ... he nervelessly drills the ball down the centre of the goal and scores to make it 2-2 Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk But there's concern for the Gunners as Fabregas injured himself scoring his penalty and is forced to hobble through the remainder of the game as the Gunners have used all their substitutions Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk Henry makes a cameo appearance for Barca, but fails to have an impact and the game ends 2-2. It's been a pulsating encounter - how Arsenal have pulled themselves back given Barca's dominance in the first half remains a mystery Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk The concern now is the nature and extent of Fabregas's injury. He doesn't look at all happy and later expresses doubts over his chances of playing again this season Photograph: Tom Jenkins Photograph: guardian.co.uk