Ibrahimovic out to break English duck

The Swedish goal-getter, who joined the Catalan giants from Inter Milan for £43 million last summer, has netted 18 times in all competitions this season.

Ibrahimovic finally broke his duck in the Champions League knockout stages in the previous round of the competition against Stuttgart, having previously failed to net outside of the group phase of European football's premier club tournament.

And the 28-year-old former Ajax and Juventus forward has now set his sights on shaking another unwanted monkey from his back against the Gunners.

"I don't think I have performed to my best level when I have played against English teams, but always for Italian teams to play against English ones is not easy," he said in The Guardian.

"For an Italian team, the most important thing is not to concede but where I play now, it's a different philosophy. We always look to score."

The three-time Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year has been overshadowed by the phenomenal form of strike partner Lionel Messi in recent weeks, with the diminutive Argentine recently scoring eight goals in three games - including two hat-tricks - to keep Barca on course to retain their La Liga and Champions League crowns.

However, Ibrahimovic believes he has nothing to prove, despite his doubters in Spain

"I think Barcelona knew what they were buying. I had five fantastic years in Italy and before that, I played in Holland. The people who know their football know the way I play.

"I don't think I have to demonstrate for anybody. I have won six league titles in a row so I don't know what more I have to prove."

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Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.