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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has acknowledged Barcelona's Lionel Messi was the difference on the night as his side crashed out of the Champions League following a 4-1 defeat at the Nou Camp, foreign media reported.

Arsenal went ahead through Nicklas Bendtner early on to take the lead in the tie for the first time, but the Premier League club's joy was short-lived as Messi struck a brilliant first half hat-trick, before compounding the Londoners' misery with a fourth late on.

Wenger likened Barca's brilliant Argentinian winger to a computer creation. "He's like a PlayStation," the Arsenal coach said after the match, when asked to describe the Argentinian's Champions League performance. “In the biggest games, exceptional players still make the difference. Messi is the best player in the world, and by a distance. Congratulations to Barcelona - they were better than us.

"I think he can take advantage of every mistake you make. Barcelona are a very good side but of course they have Messi who can make the difference at any moment in the game."

Wenger believes the 22 year-old can go on to become one of the great players of all time. "He is very young but he can achieve a lot - there are not many players who can score four goals like he did.

Wenger was upbeat despite Arsenal's quarter-final exit, but the Frenchman is concerned this result will have a detrimental effect on his side's Premier League title aspirations.

"Of course you worry because it's a big disappointment - we have to recover quickly to fight for the Premier League, and focus completely now on that," he said.

"It seems a very empty future (after a defeat like this). It's a big disappointment but we have to ready for the next game," he said.
Arsenal's next match is a trip to White Hart Lane for the north London derby next Wednesday and Wenger believes the prospect of facing local rivals Tottenham could give his players the lift they need following Tuesday night's defeat.