Messi is La liga's top scorer with 17 goals this season
Lionel Messi scored four goals as reigning champions Barcelona beat Eibar to record a fourth consecutive win in La Liga and put the pressure back on title rivals Real Madrid.
Messi scored three goals in 26 first-half minutes before adding a late fourth as he followed up debutant Martin Braithwaite's saved attempt.
Arthur added a fifth two minutes later after Braithwaite was again denied.
Barcelona move two points above Real Madrid, who face Levante later.
After a slow start, Messi scored a sensational opener when he rounded off a brilliant solo run by chipping the ball over Eibar's Marko Dmitrovic after 14 minutes.
As half-time approached, another quick burst of pace culminated in Messi firing a second low into the corner, and the Argentina forward converted from a loose ball three minutes later to kill the contest before the break.
Eibar continued to battle in the second half as both sides had goals ruled out for offside, but the hosts finished with a flurry as Messi capped a wonderful individual performance with his fourth three minutes from time and Arthur completed the rout.
Emergency signing Braithwaite, controversially brought in from Leganes on Thursday after Barcelona were given permission to make a signing outside the transfer window, came on as a 72nd-minute substitute and saw Messi and Arthur both score from his saved shots late on.
The reigning La Liga champions face Napoli in the Champions League last-16 on Tuesday, before travelling to the Bernabeu to face Real Madrid on Sunday.
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Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Barcelona
1ter Stegen
2Nélson Semedo
3PiquéSubstituted forUmtitiat 68'minutes
15Lenglet
24Firpo
4Rakitic
5BusquetsSubstituted forde Jongat 59'minutes
8Arthur
10Messi
17GriezmannSubstituted forBraithwaiteat 72'minutes
22Vidal
Substitutes
13Murara Neto
19Braithwaite
20Roberto
21de Jong
23Umtiti
31Fati
39Akieme
Eibar
1Dmitrovic
24Tejero
2Burgos
23Arbilla
15Valdés Díaz
8DiopBooked at 85mins
10ExpósitoSubstituted forCristóforoat 83'minutes
14Orellana
5EscalanteBooked at 64mins
22InuiSubstituted forDe Blasisat 66'minutes
9EnrichSubstituted forGonzález Casínat 66'minutes
Substitutes
6Álvarez
7González Casín
12Rodrigues de Oliveira
13Rodríguez
16De Blasis
18Cristóforo
21León
Referee:
César Soto Grado
Attendance:
66,970
Match Stats
Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamEibar
Possession
Home69%
Away31%
Shots
Home13
Away12
Shots on Target
Home11
Away5
Corners
Home5
Away5
Fouls
Home8
Away19
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Barcelona 5, Eibar 0.
Full TimePosted at 90'+2'
Second Half ends, Barcelona 5, Eibar 0.
Goal!Posted at 89'
Goal! Barcelona 5, Eibar 0. Arthur (Barcelona) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner.
Posted at 89'
Attempt saved. Martin Braithwaite (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Arthur.
Goal!Posted at 87'
Goal! Barcelona 4, Eibar 0. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner.
BookingPosted at 85'
Pape Diop (Eibar) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 84'
Martin Braithwaite (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 84'
Foul by Pape Diop (Eibar).
SubstitutionPosted at 83'
Substitution, Eibar. Sebastián Cristóforo replaces Edu Expósito.
Posted at 82'
Offside, Barcelona. Samuel Umtiti tries a through ball, but Arturo Vidal is caught offside.
Posted at 82'
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Álvaro Tejero.
Posted at 81'
Hand ball by Cote (Eibar).
Posted at 79'
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Marko Dmitrovic.
Posted at 79'
Attempt saved. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
Posted at 78'
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 78'
Foul by Cote (Eibar).
Posted at 78'
Hand ball by Álvaro Tejero (Eibar).
Posted at 78'
Attempt blocked. Fabián Orellana (Eibar) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Edu Expósito.
Posted at 77'
Offside, Eibar. Cote tries a through ball, but Fabián Orellana is caught offside.
Posted at 76'
Offside, Barcelona. Lionel Messi tries a through ball, but Clément Lenglet is caught offside.
Posted at 75'
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Esteban Burgos.
Posted at 74'
Attempt missed. Fabián Orellana (Eibar) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left.
SubstitutionPosted at 72'
Substitution, Barcelona. Martin Braithwaite replaces Antoine Griezmann.
SubstitutionPosted at 68'
Substitution, Barcelona. Samuel Umtiti replaces Gerard Piqué.
Posted at 67'
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Anaitz Arbilla.
Posted at 67'
Attempt saved. Pablo De Blasis (Eibar) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Edu Expósito.
SubstitutionPosted at 66'
Substitution, Eibar. Quique González replaces Sergi Enrich.
SubstitutionPosted at 66'
Substitution, Eibar. Pablo De Blasis replaces Takashi Inui.
Posted at 65'
Attempt blocked. Edu Expósito (Eibar) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Álvaro Tejero.
Posted at 65'
Corner, Eibar. Conceded by Frenkie de Jong.
BookingPosted at 64'
Gonzalo Escalante (Eibar) is shown the yellow card.
Posted at 63'
Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 63'
Dangerous play by Anaitz Arbilla (Eibar).
Posted at 63'
Corner, Eibar. Conceded by Frenkie de Jong.
Posted at 63'
Attempt missed. Takashi Inui (Eibar) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
Posted at 61'
Attempt saved. Takashi Inui (Eibar) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Posted at 61'
Corner, Eibar. Conceded by Marc-André ter Stegen.
Posted at 61'
Attempt saved. Cote (Eibar) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
Posted at 60'
Foul by Júnior Firpo (Barcelona).
Posted at 60'
Fabián Orellana (Eibar) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Source: bbc.com