Defender Bacary Sagna has admitted that him and his team mates were disappointed with themselves after last season's Champions League exit to Barcelona.

The end result, a 6-3 aggregate defeat, is something that still irks players and fans alike, with Barcelona playing 'fantasy' football at the Emirates.

What was even more disappointing was that we had scored first at the Nou Camp, before allowing Lionel Messi to score four goals past a hapless Manuel Almunia.

Sagna said: "We had some regrets after the Barcelona tie. When they came to our stadium, we didn't play for 30 minutes and we could have lost 5-0. We were maybe scared of them.

"You saw in the second leg that we could play good football. We scored first, but they scored straight away and then it was difficult to stop them playing their football.

"In these games Barcelona were better than us, but we didn't see the real Arsenal. We have to correct that and keep playing as a team.

"I was disappointed. It's always difficult conceding four goals and losing and we were so close to the Semi-Final. But you take it as it comes and you want to do better next time. That's what we'll try to do this year.

"It's a plus for us, for everyone, that the Final's at Wembley, in London.

"As players, we always want to play in front of our fans.

"It's a short way to go to the stadium, but a long way to go to the Final. We have to give everything to reach it and play game by game."

Arsene Wenger said this morning that Marouane Chamakh had already become an important player for Arsenal, despite only playing four games for the Gunners so far. And now the French defender Bacary Sagna has echoed his statements and agrees that Chamakh has slotted into the team really well.

“He has improved already,” Sagna said. “When he arrived here he was a bit, well, not scared, but he certainly needed time to settle. That’s happened already and he has found his feet.

“It’s so important for the team to have a player like him up front. He can keep the ball well and he just wants to play, give his best and work for the team. He’ll get better results with each game he plays. For the team he will be very important. He will become a great player for Arsenal.”

Well said Bacary, let’s hope he starts proving it by hitting a hat-trick against Braga tonight! He has already scored five Champions League goals for Bordeaux so he shouldn’t have any first-night nerves…..