Abou Diaby today threw down the gauntlet to Barcelona by claiming Arsenal were capable of beating any team on the planet.
As the teams prepare for tomorrow night's Champions League last 16 encounter at Emirates Stadium, Arsene Wenger's men face a huge task to overcome the Spanish champions, who beat them in the quarter-finals last season and are widely regarded as the strongest team in the competition.
Yet Diaby urged his team-mates not to consider themselves inferior to Barca, who won the trophy in 2009 and possess some of the world's best players.
The midfielder said: "We can beat anybody in the world. We just need to be conscious of our qualities and play our game. We know that this is a great team but we have a very good side with very good players.
"I watch Barcelona quite often because I like the way they play, the way they move and obviously they have got the best player in the world in Lionel Messi."
Messi scored four times in the second leg at the Nou Camp last season to ensure a 4-1 second-leg victory for his team and a 6-3 aggregate triumph for the Catalans.
The Argentina star will again pose a huge threat to Arsenal, but Diaby stressed that the Gunners must not fall into the trap of concentrating solely on him. Xavi, Andres Iniesta and David Villa were key members of Spain's World Cup-winning side and would be chosen in many world XIs.
Diaby continued: "We need to be focused on the way we defend and not be focused on one man. We know that individually he is really good but if we do the job together I think it will be difficult for him. For me, that is the best way to control him and control the game.
"When you focus on one man it is never a good idea because they have also got Iniesta, Xavi, Villa - so many players.
"The most important thing is to be well organised defensively and, when we have got the ball, play our game."
Samir Nasri, who is Arsenal's top scorer this season with 14 goals in all competitions, was due to have a test on his hamstring injury today, with Wenger refusing to take "a crazy gamble" on the France midfielder.
