After arriving at Real Madrid, before playing against Barça, Mourinho intentionally instructed the groundskeepers not to mow the grass, allowing it to grow tall. The taller grass was disadvantageous to Passing-oriented teams like Barça and Arsenal. All in all, these were the home advantages that the away teams had to "overcome."
After securing a 1-0 away victory in the first leg, Arsenal indeed held the upper hand. However, judging from the performance of both sides, they still couldn't afford to be careless upon returning to the Emirates Stadium. Given the strength AC Milan displayed on their home turf, the second leg back at the Emirates Stadium would undoubtedly be another tough battle.
After a grueling battle against AC Milan in Italy, Arsenal returned to London. With only a brief rest, they faced the fifth round of the FA Cup over the weekend, playing away against Sunderland.
