Arsenal

Villarreal focus on Arsenal test
Villarreal rested 10 first-team players against Real Sociedad to remain focused on the Champions League semi-final, second leg against Arsenal on Tuesday. Only defender Cesar Arzo kept his place in the starting line-up following the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on 19 April as Villarreal lost 2-0 to Real Sociedad. First-choice goalkeeper Sebastian Viera returned to the line-up but his mistake led to Sociedad's opener on Saturday. Youngsters Oscar Lopez and Nino Ibarra also made their Villarreal debuts. Both Real Sociedad's goals came within the opening half-hour as Mikel Alonso and then Mark Gonzalez struck for the visitors. Alonso's speculative effort from the edge of the area was straight at returning Villarreal goalkeeper Viera but the Uruguayan was unable to stop the ball slipping through his grasp and into the net. Gonzalez, on loan from Liverpool, then claimed his fourth goal in five games to hand Sociedad a 2-0 lead. The Chilean winger found the bottom corner of Viera's net with a low free-kick from the edge of the box.

Senderos may miss Euro showdown
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger fears Philippe Senderos will miss the Champions League semi-final, second leg at Villarreal on Tuesday. Central defender Senderos is a doubt after limping off with a knee injury in the draw against Tottenham on Saturday. The Gunners take a 1-0 lead going into the game in Spain and Sol Campbell may return if 20-year-old Senderos fails to recover in time. "Philippe has a knee problem. He could be out for Tuesday," confirmed Wenger. The absence of Senderos would be a major blow for Arsenal as he has helped their defence to keep nine consecutive clean sheets in the Champions League this season. Campbell would arguably be a gamble because of his lack of recent first-team action. He has been sidelined since breaking his nose against Portsmouth on 12 April, which was a comeback match following a 10-week lay-off.

Tainio has suspected broken toe
Tottenham midfielder Teemu Tainio has a suspected broken toe and could miss Spurs' final two league games. Tainio, 26, completed all 90 minutes of Saturday's draw with Arsenal, but boss Martin Jol said the Finn was injured. "It appears Teemu played with maybe a small fracture in his toe. So we'll have to wait," Jol told Spurs' website. Spurs will definitely finish fourth in the table, and possibly qualify for the Champions League, if they win their games against Bolton and West Ham. Spurs have a number of other injury worries as they aim for their highest-ever Premiership finish. England defender Ledley King is out for the season with a broken foot, midfielder Jermaine Jenas is recovering from a cracked shin and Egypt striker Mido has a damaged knee. Edgar Davids will also miss Sunday's game against Bolton after being sent off against Arsenal for picking up two yellow cards. Tottenham are four points ahead of Arsenal in the table, but the Gunners have a game in hand and could overtake their north London rivals should Spurs slip up. Even if Tottenham do finish fourth in the table they could yet miss out on a place in the Champions League if Arsenal win the competition this season. Arsenal have a 1-0 advantage after the first leg of their semi-final with Villarreal.

Villarreal v Arsenal
Arsenal defender Sol Campbell will replace Philippe Senderos against Villarreal in the Champions League semi-final second leg. Senderos suffered suspected ligament damage in the 1-1 draw with Spurs and could be out for three weeks. Campbell will make his first appearance in an Arsenal shirt since breaking his nose against Portsmouth on 12 April. Bolivian defender Juan Manuel Pena is included in Villarreal's squad after recovering from a knee ligament injury. The Gunners hold a 1-0 advantage after the first leg at Highbury. Campbell has started just one match since being substituted at half-time against West Ham on 1 February, following a performance which left many questioning his form ahead of the World Cup. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: "Senderos is out, so Sol will start the game. Campbell is still a class act and in my opinion is a better centre-back than Senderos when fit From FD Have your say on 606 "It is a little gamble because he has not had the number of games you would wish him to have, but physically he looks all right." Campbell's appearance against Portsmouth was his comeback match following a 10-week lay-off. The England defender has not played in the Champions League since Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Thun back in November. The absence of Swiss centre-half Senderos is a major blow as he has been a key part of a defence that has kept nine consecutive clean sheets in Europe. Left-back Gael Clichy is included in the squad for the first time since suffering a stress fracture of his foot while on Under-21 duty for France against England in November. However, Wenger insisted Clichy would not be risked from the start against the Spaniards. Skipper Thierry Henry started on the bench at the weekend, along with Cesc Fabregas, while midfielders Freddie Ljungberg and Alexander Hleb should also come back into contention after being rested. Jose Antonio Reyes is available again following a one-match European ban, but England full-back Ashley Cole (ankle) is still not yet fully match fit and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor is cup-tied. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Djourou, Eboue, Campbell, Toure, Clichy, Flamini, Pires, Gilberto, Diaby, Fabregas, Reyes, Ljungberg, Hleb, Van Persie, Henry, Song, Walcott, Almunia.

Pellegrini expecting final place
Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini says he will not be satisfied with anything other than a win and a Champions League final place when they play Arsenal. The Spanish side are 1-0 down ahead of Tuesday's semi-final second leg. "We have passed some important milestones this season but we have never been content with what we have achieved," said Pellegrini. "We are now here to take the last step and reach the Champions League final. The pressure is all on Arsenal." He added: "Our only pressure is from ourselves and our desire to reach the final." Midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme believes that if they play to their full potential, Villarreal can pull off another upset in this season's competition. "We are playing against a great team at our own ground and we have to play a great game," said the Argentine playmaker. "If we do that then we will have a great chance of making the final."

Wenger prepares Arsenal to attack
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists attack will be the best form of defence for his side in their Champions League semi-final, second leg in Villarreal. The Gunners hold a lead 1-0 as they bid to reach the Champions League final for the first time in their history. And Wenger said: "We must play to win the game. I don't think they will score three. Let's try to score and that will be a big blow to them. "You cannot go into a game 1-0 up thinking you can just rely on that." Wenger is wary of the threat posed by Villarreal playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme as well as the atmosphere his players will have to deal with at the compact El Madrigal stadium. "We have shown character against Juventus and Real Madrid and we need it again," added the Frenchman. "It will be a more intimidating atmosphere because it is a small stadium and therefore I feel the heat will be higher. "They will play the same way but will be less timid and Riquelme will be more influential. He shows more personality, character and decisiveness at home." Arsenal are currently fifth in the Premiership behind Tottenham and, if they end the season in that position, they will only qualify for next season's Champions League by winning this year's competition. Wenger was involved in a row with Spurs boss Martin Jol when the two teams drew 1-1 on Saturday but the Highbury boss insists he is calm as he prepares his side for their game in Spain. "I feel quite relaxed, contrary to the impression I gave, because I trust my team completely," said Wenger. Wenger is without central defender Philippe Senderos for the game and will bring in Sol Campbell as his replacement. Campbell walked out on his team at half-time against West Ham on 1 February and broke his nose in his comeback game against Portsmouth on 12 April. But Wenger said: "There's no better opportunity for him to come back and show his strengths than in a semi-final where you know you will have to defend well. "I trust his quality and his strengths. The players trust him as well. "Sol was our central defender when we went 49 games unbeaten and that's why everybody still has complete confidence in Sol. "I agree that he has shown a weakness in his life on that day - but that can happen to anybody and everybody in our team is capable of understanding that."

Villarreal 0-0 Arsenal (agg 0-1)
Jens Lehmann saved Juan Roman Riquelme's last-minute penalty to send Arsenal into the Champions League final at Villarreal's expense. Villarreal looked set to send the game into extra-time when Gael Clichy fouled Jose Mari, but Lehmann dived to his left to save Riquelme's spot-kick. Arsenal survived a siege, with Lehmann saving well from Guillermo Franco. Diego Forlan also missed a glorious chance as Arsenal sealed a final clash with AC Milan or Barcelona in Paris. Arsenal had to ride their luck and mount a rearguard action to reach the final on 17 May as the gifted Spanish outfit dominated throughout. Sol Campbell, as expected, was recalled in place of the injured Philippe Senderos, for his first Champions League appearance since November. Arsenal suffered an early blow when Mathieu Flamini limped off with a hamstring injury, to be replaced by Clichy, playing his first competitive game since November. And he was on the defensive, along with his Arsenal colleagues, as Villarreal exerted total supremacy in the first 45 minutes. Riquelme and Marcos Senna combined to set up Juan Pablo Sorin in the 17th minute, but he shot straight at Lehmann. And five minutes before the interval, Lehmann came to Arsenal's rescue with a fine save from Franco's diving header as he closed on Javi Venta's fiercely-driven cross. Villarreal ended the half in the ascendancy, with Lehmann clutching Riquelme's free-kick. The second half started in bizarre fashion, when a fan raced on to the pitch and attempted to drape a Barcelona shirt over Thierry Henry before he was bundled away. Franco almost broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval, with his powerful header flashing only inches wide with Lehmann well beaten. The striker was dominating in the air, and once again he was only narrowly off target when he beat Campbell to Senna's cross. Arsenal were living on their nerves, and they had another narrow escape after 64 minutes when Forlan shot wide of a gaping goal after a slick link-up with Franco. Franco then had the ball in the net three minutes later, but his powerful strike was ruled out for offside. Arsenal desperately needed to gain some momentum, and Wenger made a change after 68 minutes, sending on Robert Pires for Jose Antonio Reyes. Just as time appeared to be running out, Villarreal were handed a lifeline as Clichy was harshly judged to have fouled Jose Mari in the area - but Lehmann won his battle with Riquelme to send Arsenal to Paris.

Dein urges Henry to sign new deal
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has urged Thierry Henry to stay at Highbury - but says his fate will not be decided by the Champions League final result. Henry says he will make an announcement on his future before the World Cup. Dein told Sir Stanley: "I can't tell you what goes on in the background, but you have to assume we have done everything we can to make him stay." He added: "I would hope his decision will not be based on one game, he's far too intelligent for that." Henry will captain Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris on 17 May, and Dein hopes he will lead them into their new stadium at Ashburton Grove. Arsenal opened talks with Henry - who has one year left on his current deal - after he indicated he wanted to stay. Henry has been consistently linked with Barcelona and Dein said: "He is one of the finest players to have played football generally, and you are now seeing someone at the peak of his profession. "We want him to stay, the fans want him to stay and we hope he will stay. If he's ambitious he should stay at Arsenal because we have got a new stadium and a young team coming through. "We would like him to stay and be captain and take us on to even greater successes." Dein also paid tribute to boss Arsene Wenger, saying: "We have managed to come through to the Champions League final with 12 games unbeaten and the last 10 without conceding a goal. "It is a phenomenal achievement and so much credit must go to Arsene Wenger and his coaching staff, all the players, and of course the fans who have played a big part in their own way by supporting the team. "When Arsene came here in October 1996, everybody said 'Arsene who?'. I call him the miracle worker and the game against Villarreal was another one. "We managed to get through and we have got a great final to look forward to. "It is just phenomenal for the club and it is also great to see the youngsters coming through that Arsene has introduced. He's given them a chance and they have been great." Now Dein is hoping Arsenal can clinch the biggest prize in European club football, saying: "We can do no more than we have done in the past years to win the domestic championships and win cups. "Now if we can put the lid on the box and win the Champions League final, that would be sensational."

Wenger wary of Ronaldinho threat
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger pinpointed Ronaldinho as Barcelona's key threat after watching the Catalan side reach the Champions League final. "Ronaldinho, at any moment, can do something special," said Wenger after Barcelona beat AC Milan on aggregate to progress to the 17 May Paris showpiece. Wenger added: "I think we have a chance and let's prepare well. "If you are capable of grabbing your chance you can win the final. We want to make it our destiny, of course." Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard insisted he had not turned his thoughts to the final against Arsenal. He said: "It feels good - we are very happy to be in the final. If you qualify it has gone as planned, so we are satisfied. "We had to work really hard for it, but at the moment I am thinking nothing about the final. "I am just thinking about the next game against Cadiz, because every game is very important for us. "These games are more important and we will see about the final when it is our next game. "We had self-belief - and without self-belief you can't play at this level." Milan were furious that Andriy Shevchenko's 68th minute header was ruled out for a foul on Carles Puyol. Coach Carlos Ancelotti said: "It was absolutely legal. He jumped and hardly touched Puyol. "It was a goal, Puyol lost his balance. With a referee of this level you can't have mistake like that. We feel penalised. "We gave our all, it was an excellent game against a very strong side. We were on equal terms in both games. "As in the first leg we looked for the win, we created some things and of course gave them some opportunities as well. The team did everything that I wanted from and that they could do. "The only regret is that we weren't able to get the goal we deserved."

Van Bronckhorst wants Henry deal
Barcelona defender Gio van Bronckhorst says he would love to see Arsenal striker Thierry Henry at the Nou Camp. The former Highbury team-mates will face each other in the Champions League final in Paris on 17 May - and Henry has yet to sign a new Gunners deal. "There has been a lot of speculation about Henry coming to Barca and he is very popular," said Van Bronckhorst. "He is a great player and I would love him to come here as you always want the best players in your team." Henry is due to make an announcement over his future before this summer's World Cup finals. Meanwhile, Van Bronckhorst is looking forward to facing his old club in European football's showpiece final. "It is going to be a great game and a special one for me," added the Dutchman. "I still have some friends at Highbury, especially Freddie Ljungberg, so it will be nice to meet up with them again. "It will also be good to have a match between two sides who like playing open football." Meanwhile, Henry says Arsenal have not given up on finishing fourth in the Premiership, even though they are four points behind Tottenham. If Arsenal lose the final to Barca and finish fifth they will not be in next year's Champions League - and Henry says they cannot allow that to happen. "We can't start dreaming of the final now, we have a massive game against Sunderland. That's what we've been dealing with for a long time," said Henry, whose side face the Black Cats on Monday. "Villarreal made a choice of 'dropping' the league and you could see there was pressure on them but fortunately they didn't go through."

Henry picks up award from writers
Thierry Henry has been named Footballer of the Year for a record third time by the Football Writers' Association. Henry, 28, is the first player in 59 years of the FWA award to receive the accolade three times. This season Henry has broken the club's all-time goalscoring record and led Arsenal to their first European Cup final against Barcelona in Paris. The striker won the FWA award in 2003 and 2004, with last year's honour going to Frank Lampard of Chelsea. The Arsenal captain will receive his latest award at the FWA dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, in London, on Thursday 11 May. Chelsea's John Terry came second, Manchester United's Wayne Rooney third and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard fourth in the votes cast by the country's football writers. Sir Stanley Matthews, Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Gary Lineker all won the FWA award twice. FWA chairman Paul Hetherington said: "Henry is a deserving winner in a season when there have been several outstanding candidates, such as Terry, Rooney and Gerrard. "Henry's achievement ranks him up there as the greatest player in the 59-year history of the award." Gerrard was named the players' Player of the Year and collected his award on Sunday.

England's Cole returns to action
Arsenal defender Ashley Cole is set to put his injury nightmare behind him with a return to the squad for Monday's Premiership trip to Sunderland. Cole, 25, played 90 minutes for the reserves on Thursday evening, having fully recovered from an ankle problem sustained in February. The full-back has been hampered by injuries since October, with a broken bone in his foot and a thigh problem. His return will boost his chances of making the England's World Cup squad. The World Cup in Germany gets under way on 9 June and Cole will be hoping to get back to be fully match fit to ensure his selection by England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. The left-back broke a bone in his foot in October and suffered a three-month spell on the sidelines before sustaining a thigh injury in January and an ankle problem the following month.

Sunderland 0-3 Arsenal
Arsenal's hopes of a top-four finish remain very much alive after they eased past relegated and luckless Sunderland. The Black Cats had the better of the opening exchanges, but fell behind when Danny Collins headed into his own net. Cesc Fabregas' clipped finish made it 2-0 and Thierry Henry added a third with a neat free-kick before half-time. Thereafter, Kevin Kyle twice failed to make the most of good chances, while Ashley Cole's second-half appearance rounded off a good day for the Gunners. Sunderland started with four strikers on the pitch, with Jon Stead and Darryl Murphy asked to play in wide positions, and actually looked the more settled side for much of the first half. With Arsenal struggling to get their passing game together, Kyle was a thorn in the Gunners' side and his glancing header on 15 minutes was saved at the second attempt by Lehmann, before he blasted Chris Brown's lay-off just wide 10 minutes later. However, the visitors assumed control on 29 minutes when Henry's left-wing free-kick was headed into his own net by Sunderland defender Collins under pressure from Abou Diaby. And it went from bad to worse for the hosts when they fell further behind minutes after Stead had limped off with a twisted knee. First Henry set Fabregas free for the Spaniard to chip home from eight yards, and then the Frenchman netted himself when he curled a delightful free-kick into Kelvin Davis' near post. The Black Cats continued to show their fighting qualities in the second half but the poor finishing that has blighted their season was in full evidence as Arsenal's mistakes continued to go unpunished. Sol Campbell in particular looked short of form and fitness but Kyle wasted the first effort of the half when he side-footed straight at Lehmann. The Black Cats striker then brought the save of the match from the German international when his firm header was tipped around the post at full stretch. Arsenal were rarely threatened after that though and they almost scored a fourth when Henry's volley rebounded off Davis onto the post. But the Gunners were clearly happy to see out a comfortable win - only their fifth away from home all season. Left-back Cole, missing since sustaining an ankle injury in February, came on as a 66th-minute substitute to complete a decent day's work, although manager Arsene Wenger was clearly worried after a two-footed lunge by Dan Smith ended Diaby's match in the dying minutes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunderland caretaker manager Kevin Ball: "In my opinion, I felt Dan Smith did go for the ball and the lad knocked it away and he accidentally caught him. "Yes, it isn't an injury you want to see happen to a player. "But he went for the ball and the player passed it quicker than Dan could get there." Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger "We know that Thierry can do these things, he does it so often for us. "He took his goal well and set up the other two. That's the thing about him, he can score and provide. "We want to make the maximum points and see how far it takes us now." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunderland: Davis, Nosworthy, Breen, Danny Collins, McCartney, Stead (Le Tallec 33), Whitehead, Miller (Leadbitter 82), Daryl Murphy (Smith 62), Brown, Kyle. Subs Not Used: Caldwell, Alnwick. Booked: Kyle, McCartney, Smith. Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Campbell, Clichy, Fabregas, Diaby, Song Billong, Pires (Cole 65), Henry (Bergkamp 72), Adebayor (Van Persie 65). Subs Not Used: Poom, Djourou. Goals: Danny Collins 29 og, Fabregas 40, Henry 43. Att: 44,003. Ref: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).

Diaby injury mars Arsenal victory
Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured dislocated ankle. Diaby was on the receiving end of a heavy tackle from Sunderland's Dan Smith during Arsenal's 3-0 win. The injury means Diaby will miss Arsenal's last two Premiership games and the Champions League final match against Barcelona on 17 May in Paris. "We'll have a clearer indication of the length of time in a couple of weeks," said an Arsenal spokesman." Arsenal are away at Manchester City on Thursday and at home to Wigan as they try and snatch fourth place from north London rivals Spurs, before they travel to Paris. "It is frustrating and unacceptable because the player had no intention of going for the ball in my opinion," added Wenger. Sunderland caretaker manager defended 19-year-old Smith's tackle. "In my opinion, I felt Dan did go for the ball and the lad knocked it away and he accidentally caught him," said Ball. "Yes, it isn't an injury you want to see happen to a player. "But he went for the ball and the player passed it quicker than Dan could get there." Smith was sent off on his senior debut for the club in a Carling Cup tie against Cheltenham earlier this season.

Man City 1-3 Arsenal
Substitute Jose Reyes kept alive Arsenal's hopes of finishing fourth in the Premiership with two late goals. Arsenal took the lead after 30 minutes when Freddie Ljungberg slotted in but City drew level before half-time through David Sommeil's tap-in. Arsenal poured forward after the break and were eventually rewarded when Reyes began and ended a devastating move. Reyes wrapped up victory with a superb finish as Arsenal closed the gap on fourth-placed Tottenham to one point. Arsenal now go into Sunday's last-ever game at Highbury against Wigan needing to better Tottenham's result against West Ham to avoid having to win the Champions League final to clinch their place in the competition next season. Another boost for the Gunners was Ashley Cole's first appearance since October, in front of the watching England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. But Arsenal's defence, featuring another England hopeful Sol Campbell, was at times unconvincing. Seeking a first ever Premiership win over the Gunners, City made a bold start, with Joey Barton catching the eye in midfield. But the threat of Henry was always lurking and the Frenchman's first notable contribution was to set up the first goal. Henry jinked past Claudio Reina and threaded through a delightful reverse pass for Ljungberg, playing in his 300th game for Arsenal, to score his first Premiership goal of the season. But City quickly got back on level terms as confusion in the Arsenal defence led to a corner, which Trevor Sinclair headed towards goal. Jens Lehmann was distracted by Darius Vassell's attempted volley and allowed the ball to slip through his fingers, leaving Sommeil to bundle it in. The half ended with Henry dancing past three defenders before eventually stroking a shot high and wide but aside from their star striker's brilliance, it was a strangely ponderous first-half display from Arsenal. They looked far more incisive after the break, with Ljungberg hitting the post after 53 minutes but with the scores still level, Wenger was forced to call on Cesc Fabregas, and on his 19th birthday, the Spaniard almost had an immediate impact. His pass found Gilberto charging through the midfield but Robin van Persie was unable to provide a typical Arsenal move with a finish. The pressure was beginning to build, with David James making fingertip saves from Van Persie and Alexander Hleb. Lehmann responded with saves from Richard Dunne and Micah Richards and that proved vital as Arsenal finally went ahead shortly after. Reyes found Pires with a quick free-kick and the Frenchman slid the ball through for Emmanuel Eboue to pull the ball back for Reyes to beat James. The substitute made sure of a vital win by sweeping home Henry's unselfish pass. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce: "We were beaten by a side with fantastic cutting edge. "Every time we crossed the ball or had a set-piece, I thought we looked dangerous but the thing with Arsenal is they hit you on the break. "I think we gave them too much respect near our goal. Mentally and physically it's hard work, but you have to stay alert at all times." Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: "It was tight but I was always confident. "City gave everything, and Jens Lehmann had to make two good saves at 1-1. "Ashley Cole had 90 minutes of high pace and came through well." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Man City: James, Jihai, Dunne, Richards, Sommeil, Sinclair (Croft 77), Barton, Reyna, Riera (Flood 82), Vassell, Samaras. Subs Not Used: Weaver, Matthew Mills, Wright-Phillips. Booked: Riera, Vassell, Dunne. Goals: Sommeil 38. Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Campbell, Cole, Hleb (Pires 72), Silva, Song Billong (Fabregas 58), Ljungberg, Henry, Van Persie (Reyes 72). Subs Not Used: Almunia, Djourou. Goals: Ljungberg 30, Reyes 78, 84. Att: 41,875 Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).

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