Match Report
There were valiant attempts to keep out Barcelona in the second 45 minutes, but their defensive rearguard was eventually breached in the 76th and 80th minutes respectively, through Eto'o and substitute Juliano Belletti.
The first period was a quintessential classic in terms of embracing all the elements that make-up a fine spectacle. There were missed chances, a sending off, contentious decisions, a goal and a plethora of fine attacking play.
It started well and rarely dropped a level as within two minutes, Thierry Henry was left to ponder just quite how he had not put Arsenal in to the lead.
A typically marauding run from Emmanuel Eboue found space down the right, his cross was whipped across goal and Henry, after nipping in front of Rafael Marquez, fired at goal but Victor Valdes was out quickly and parried for a corner.
From the resulting set piece, Henry took possession and cutting inside on his favoured left flank he brought a fine parry from Valdes.
The opening sparring belonged to Arsenal but Barca were soon back in the contest as Ronaldinho began to dictate proceedings from the centre of the pitch, although Eto'o's left sided role was both a strange and unproductive decision on Frank Rijkaard's part, at least initially.
Ludovic Giuly and Deco both had snapshots saved comfortably by Lehmann before the German's night ended prematurely and so dramatically.
A sublime Ronaldinho through-ball caught Arsenal's defence square and Eto'o was left bearing down on goal. The Cameroon hit-man skipped past Lehmann on the edge of the area, only to be brought down and although Giuly rolled the ball into an open goal, referee Terje Hauge ruled out the strike and brandished a red card.
Wenger signalled for Robert Pires to be replaced by Manuel Almunia, with the midfielder's Arsenal career likely to have ended in bitter personal disappointment in his homeland.
As Barca pressed to add a goal to their numerical advantage, Ashley Cole needed a fine tackle to thwart Giuly before Campbell capped an impressive game with an excellent goal.
The award of the free-kick that led to Arsenal's goal was more than contentious as Eboue's excellent foray ended with a theatrical fall, which could on another day, been adjudged a yellow card offence.
Henry clipped in the free-kick from the right and with Campbell's run unattended, the England defender bulleted his header past Valdes from seven yards.
In the first of four minutes of injury time, Barca had their best chance of the half as Eto'o brought a magnificent save from Almunia. With Campbell too tight, the Cameroon striker rolled him just inside Arsenal's box and smashed an effort that Almunia did brilliantly to turn on to the post.
Andres Iniesta was summoned from the bench at half time, to add a little more astuteness in terms of distribution and it was the diminutive schemer that conjured a decent opening but his drilled effort was gathered by Almunia on a greasy surface.
Deco, too, had a decent shot saved before a mesmerising run from Ronaldinho ended with Almunia parrying well and another opportunity was lost.
It would, though, be wrong to suggest it was a solely a Barcelona onslaught that ensued as Arsenal were scintillating on the break on more than one occasion.
With Freddie Ljungberg and Alexander Hleb magnificent on either flank Arsenal always looked likely to grab a second, as a wondrous Henry run down the left only ended with a Valdes parry at his feet.
Just past the hour mark and Ljungberg brought another excellent stop from Valdes when he nudged in front of a hesitant Oleguer and after making inroads on goal his rising drive was palmed over.
Henry should have capped his night's exertions with a goal but his finish when through from Hleb's pass was tepid and it would prove a costly miss for within minutes, the 76th, Barcelona were level.
Eto'o collected possession on the left, and passing inside to Iniesta carried on his charge. An excellent pass into Arsenal's box found substitute Henrik Larsson, whose clever flick played in Eto'o and from close range he made no mistake in nudging the ball past Almunia at his near post.
With Arsenal despondent Barcelona went straight for the jugular and within four minutes found it, as Belletti scored his first ever goal for the Catalan giants.
Larson's run saw him pull wide on Arsenal's left and clipping a ball in between Cole and Campbell, a charging Belletti took possession and smashed the ball between the legs of Almunia, who again may have been disappointed with his efforts.
With spirits broken and legs more than weary, Arsenal had little in response to a Barcelona side that are worthy champions of Europe after a fine night of football in the French capital.
blame the kutta ref Tom Henning Ovrebo!!!