For critics who often argue that Lionel Messi will be struggling if he plays in the Premier League; they may have to rethink their opinion about the Argentine who just seems to love scoring against English teams.
“He shows in every game why he is Messi. His average performance is this type of game,” Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino submitted after his compatriot powered Barcelona to a 4-2 victory over Tottenham in their Champions League group game at Wembley on Wednesday.
With his two goals at Wembley on Wednesday, the 31-year-old has scored 22 goals and delivered six assists in 28 games against England’s finest – more than he has against clubs from any other country.
See Lionel Messi’s numbers against English teams below and see just why his name strikes more fear into them; especially Arsenal who he has scored 9 goals against.
Lionel Messi versus English clubs
Club Appearances Goals Assists
Arsenal 6 9 1
Chelsea 10 3 3
Liverpool 2 0 0
Man City 6 6 2
Man Utd 4 2 0
Tottenham 1 2 0
Messi’s magic against English clubs in the Champions League
Barcelona 2-0 Man Utd, 2008-09 final
Before Ronaldo made his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid, duels between him and Messi were limited to the Champions League.
Here, in a Rome final billed as a contest between the two and as United tried to retain their crown, Barcelona were inspired by Messi, who capped his performance with a stunning headed goal.
Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal (6-3 agg) 2009-10 quarter-finals
Arsenal actually led this tie 3-2 thanks to a Nicklas Bendtner goal in the Nou Camp, only for the Gunners to be dumped out by Messi’s individual brilliance.
The Argentine scored all four of Barca’s goals. The third, a sublime chip, had fans bowing in reverence, while the fourth, a surging run, confirmed his reputation as an unstoppable force.
Barcelona 3-1 Man Utd, 2010-11 final
Two years on, against the same opponents but this time at Wembley, Messi again inspired Barca to yet another Champions League success.
The Argentine danced around the famous stadium and, when United found hope at 1-1, it was Messi who snuffed it out with a powerful drive.
Barcelona 4-0 Man City, 2016-17 group stage
As Pep Guardiola returned to his old club for the first time as Manchester City manager, Messi was just returning from a groin injury. It did not stop him.
Messi had already waltzed through the City defence by the time the visitors were reduced to 10 men. His second was a curling left-footed finish and the hat-trick was completed with a predator’s tap-in.