Arsenal

Wenger calm on player exodus fear
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits he is ready to deal with the summer exit of some of his key players but is firmly focused on Champions League glory. Arsenal face Barcelona in Wednesday's final in Paris - potentially the last game for Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole and Robert Pires. "That is not decided and we will cope with all that," said Wenger. "The important thing is we go together to Paris, win the trophy and then what happens, we will cope with it." Striker Henry has been tipped for a move to fellow Champions League finalists Barcelona and defender Cole has been linked to Real Madrid. Midfielder Pires, who has only been offered a one-year extension to his Gunners contract, will make a decision over his future after the Paris final. However, Wenger's sole focus is the clash with Barcelona and he added: "What is important is not what will happen in one month or two months but what we achieve together. "We have prepared the present and the future. "The future is ahead of schedule, that's the only thing I can say. The players have shown that during the season." Henry has one year left on his Highbury deal and the 28-year-old has set the start of the World Cup on 9 June as his deadline for making a decision about signing a new Arsenal contract. He could be convinced to stay at Arsenal after the club booked a place in the qualifying stages of next season's Champions League and the fact they are moving to a new stadium in the summer. But Wenger is confident his captain will not let the uncertainty over his future affect him for the match against the Catalan side. "I feel on an occasion like this what is important is winning the trophy," he said. ARSENAL'S ROUTE TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 14 Sep: Arsenal 2-1 FC Thun 27 Sep: Ajax 1-2 Arsenal 18 Oct: Sparta Prague 0-2 Arsenal 2 Nov: Arsenal 3-0 Sparta Prague 22 Nov: FC Thun 0-1 Arsenal 7 Dec: Arsenal 0-0 Ajax 21 Feb: Real Madrid 0-1 Arsenal 8 March: Arsenal 0-0 Real Madrid 28 March: Arsenal 2-0 Juventus 5 April: Juventus 0-0 Arsenal 19 April: Arsenal 1-0 Villarreal 25 April: Villarreal 0-0 Arsenal Arsenal's route to Paris in photos "You don't care what happens the next day or the day after but on the day you want to bring back the trophy." Henry will be playing on home territory and, although there will be a great weight of expectation on the striker, Wenger is keen not to place too much pressure on his captain. "Of course, the big players like him and Ronaldinho or Eto'o will be under pressure to perform," he added. "What happens in this sort of game is that people will always compare but I do not want too much pressure on Thierry. "If we play well as a team, which I'm convinced we will, Thierry will automatically be very good. "If we do not play well as a team Thierry will suffer - and we have seen that against Villarreal away from home, where the team refused to play and where we suffered offensively. "So my main concern is that the team plays its game then I am not worried about Thierry."

Barcelona v Arsenal
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could face a dilemma if central defender Philippe Senderos and stop-gap left-back Mathieu Flamini are declared fit. Senderos (knee) and Flamini (hamstring) should be back from injury and will be challenging Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole for starting places. Barcelona are giving forward Lionel Messi as much time as possible to recover from a thigh injury. He has not played for two months because of the problem. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BIG MATCH NOTES Undefeated sides clash in Champions League final When Arsenal and FC Barcelona meet in Saint-Dénis on Wednesday, two undefeated sides will contest the final of this season's Champions League. The two teams have recorded eight victories and four draws each in their first 12 matches. It is the third time since the competition began in 1992 that two teams have reached the final unbeaten. This also occurred in 1992/93 and 93/94. In the former final, Olympique Marseille beat AC Milan by 1-0. Milan made amends in style the next season by beating Barcelona 4-0. Arsenal retain watertight defence in knockout phase Arsenal have not conceded a Champions League goal since 27 September 2005. The sequences of 10 consecutive clean sheets and 919 minutes without letting in a goal are both Champions League records. Rijkaard can join exclusive club Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard won the Champions League three times (1989, 1990 and 1995) as a player and hopes to join the short list of Champions Cup/Champions League winners as player and trainer. Only four people have done this - Miguel Munoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff and Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti was the last to accomplish the feat and he was one of the players who partnered Rijkaard as a player, winning the 1988/89 and 1989/90 Champions Cup trophies with AC Milan. In the latter final, Rijkaard scored the only goal of the match as the 'rossoneri' overcame Benfica. By 1995, Rijkaard had returned to the club where he started his professional career, Amsterdam-based side Ajax. In the final against former employer AC Milan, he provided the assist for Patrick Kluivert's match winner. Arsenal can complete a set of European silverware If Arsenal beat Barcelona, they will add the missing piece in a set of European silverware. In 1969/70, Arsenal's Fairs Cup win gave the Londoners their first European honours. In 1993/94, the Gunners added the Cup Winners' Cup to their trophy cabinet. Only four clubs, including Arsenal's opponents Barcelona, have won all three European competitions at least once. Barca have won the Champions Cup/Champions League once, the Cup Winners' Cup four times and the Fairs Cup/Uefa Cup three times. The other teams that have completed the set are Ajax, Bayern Munich and Juventus and therefore Arsenal can become the first English club to accomplish the feat. Neither finalists have fond memories of shoot-outs deciding finals in European competition In the 1979/80 Cup Winners' Cup final, Arsenal were denied by another Spanish side - Valencia - in a penalty shoot-out. After 120 minutes of football, the match was scoreless. Valencia's Mario Kempes and Arsenal's Liam Brady both missed the opening spot-kicks. The following nine were converted before Graham Rix saw his attempt parried by Valencia goalkeeper-turned-hero, Carlos Pereira. Barcelona were involved in the most embarrassing penalty shoot-out, from the point of view of the takers at least, in the 1985/86 Champions Cup final. Barca custodian Urruti saved the first two attempts by Steaua Bucharest, but surrendered two goals after that. All four Barcelona penalties were saved by Steaua goalie Helmuth Ducadam, who became a European legend overnight. In the final of the 1999/2000 Uefa Cup, Arsenal's shootout woes made Galatasaray the first ever Turkish winners of European silverware. Gala goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel saw Arsenal's Davor Suker and Patrick Vieira both hit the woodwork, as his team mates made no mistake from the spot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Definitions of terms used:- Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this competition which began in 1992/1993. Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in 1955/1956 including qualification matches. European matches - all matches played in the major European tournaments (Fairs Cup, Uefa Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League). Uefa Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and the old Intercontinental Cup competition are excluded. Head-to-Head FC Barcelona and Arsenal have met each other twice in Europe. In the 1999/2000 Champions League first round group phase, these sides drew 1-1 at the Camp Nou, but the Spaniards won 2-4 in London. Arsenal players Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg and Dennis Bergkamp were involved in both encounters. Barcelona's Gabri made one substitute appearance, whilst Xavi and Carles Puyol were on the bench for both legs. Barcelona have played 51 European matches against clubs from England and have won 24, drawn 14 and lost 13. The Spaniards have outscored the English clubs by 101-63. Barca have been eliminated from European competition by English clubs on six occasions. They have eliminated English clubs from the knock-out stages 12 times. The Catalan-based club have met English opposition in three European finals. After winning the Fairs Cup in 1958 and 1960 by defeating London XI and Birmingham City respectively, the Catalans lost the final of the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup against Manchester United (2-1). Arsenal have played 20 European matches against clubs from Spain and have won seven, drawn five and lost eight. Arsenal have been eliminated from European competition by Spanish clubs on three occasions, including the lost Cup Winners' Cup finals to Valencia (1980) and Real Zaragoza (1995). Arsenal have knocked out three Spanish clubs from European competition, including Real Madrid in this season's Champions League second round. European history The best result by Barcelona in the Champions League is finishing runners-up to AC Milan in 1993/94. In 1992, Barcelona won the Champions Cup. They have also amassed four Cup Winners' Cups, three Uefa Cups and two European Super Cups. This is Barca's 10th season in the Champions League. Arsenal's best result in the Champions League is reaching the final of this year's competition. The Londoners are making their eighth appearance in the CL main competition. Arsenal's European trophies are the 1969/1970 Fairs Cup and the 1993/94 Cup Winners' Cup. Current European form Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 12 Champions League matches. Their last loss was the 4-2 defeat at Chelsea last season. Barcelona's club record unbeaten run in the Champions League stands at 16 and was set between May 2002 and April 2003. Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in their last four CL matches, thereby equalling the club record for most successive clean sheets in the Champions League which was set between February and March 2003. Together with Arsenal, Barcelona are the only unbeaten team in this season's Champions League. Arsenal's undefeated run in the Champions League is now 13 matches, which is a club record in the competition. The club record in European competition stands at 16 and was set between September 1993 and April 1995. This Champions League season, the Gunners have so far won eight matches and drawn four, outscoring their opponents by 14-2. The only players that have scored against Arsenal this CL season are Nelson Ferreira (FC Thun) and Markus Rosenberg (Ajax). Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 10 CL matches. The previous CL record was held by AC Milan, who kept seven clean sheets in the 2004/05 season. The 10 consecutive clean sheets also mark an all-time record in all European competitions. The previous record of nine was set by Ajax in the late 1980s. The 919 minutes without conceding a goal is also a Champions League record, clearly ahead of Ajax's run of 658 minutes without conceding a goal, set in 1996. Player and disciplinary info Rafael Marquez, Carles Puyol and Mark van Bommel (Barcelona) will be suspended if they receive a yellow card. Arsenal's Kolo Habib Toure and Matthieu Flamini will be suspended if they receive a yellow card. Xavi is the most experienced Barcelona player with 57 CL appearances. The other players in the Barcelona squad with at least 50 Champions League matches are Carles Puyol (56) and Deco (52). Ronaldinho and Deco are the most prolific goalscorers in Barcelona's squad with 11 career goals in the Champions League. Samuel Eto'o is on 10 goals. Ronaldinho (seven) and Samuel Eto'o (five) are Barcelona's top scorers this Champions League season. Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the only Barcelona player to have played in every Champions League match this season. Van Bronckhorst was signed from Arsenal in 2003. He played 11 Champions League matches for the Gunners. Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been in goal for seven of the 10 clean sheet matches and also kept a clean sheet in his last match before this season's run - the 1-0 win against Bayern Munich. In total, Lehmann has kept goal for Arsenal for 745 minutes without conceding a goal. This is a CL record previously held by Edwin van der Sar, who in the 1995/96 season did not concede a goal for 658 minutes while playing for Ajax. The last player to score against Lehmann was Hasan Salihamidzic in the 65th minute of Bayern's 3-1 victory against Arsenal in last season's Champions League. Thierry Henry is Arsenal's most experienced player and top scorer in this competition with 78 matches and 41 goals. His 69 matches for Arsenal in the competition are the most by an Arsenal player. Henry has scored 49 goals in all European competitions and can become the seventh player to net 50 times if he scores against Barcelona. Fredrik Ljungberg has made more appearances in the Champions League than any other Swede (59). Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast, 36) and Lauren (Cameroon, 53) are also the CL record appearance makers for their countries. Cesc Fabregas is the only Arsenal player to have appeared in every Champions League match this season. Henry clinched his fourth English top scorer title this season by netting 27 goals in the Premiership. Other miscellaneous facts FC Barcelona have already clinched the Spanish league title. Arsenal ensured themselves of Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premiership.

Arsenal's Adebayor in Togo squad
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been named in Togo coach Otto Pfister's squad for the 2006 World Cup. Highly-rated goalkeeper Kossi Agassa and veteran captain Abalo Dosseh have also been picked by Pfister. Togo are playing in the World Cup finals for the first time and will face South Korea, Switzerland and France in the group phase. The West Africans were the first of the 31 visiting teams to arrive in Germany, touching down on Monday. Pfister, whose team were beaten 1-0 on Sunday by Saudia Arabia in a friendly, was honest about his team's chances at the tournament. "We're obviously underdogs," Pfister said of his World Cup debutants after being welcomed by German organising committee officials as well as leaders from the local state government. "But I think we can achieve a thing or two at the World Cup. All our preparations are aimed at the first match against South Korea. If we can win that, every match after that will be like a final for us." The World Cup debutants were given a police motorcycle escort to their training base in Wangen. "My heart is beating for both Togo and Germany - hopefully they'll both make it to the final," said Wangen mayor Michael Lang. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goalkeepers: Kossi Agassa (Metz/FRA), Nimini Tchagnirou (Djoliba/MLI), Kodjovi Dodji Obilale (Etoile Filante) Defenders: Yaovi Dosseh Abalo (Apoel/CYP), Dare Nibombe (Mons/BEL), Ludovic Assemoassa ((Clermont/FRA), Karim Guede (Hamburg/GER), Toure Assimiou (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), Richmond Forson (J.A. Poire/FRA), Kuami Agboh (Beveren/BEL), Eric Akoto (Admira Walker/AUT), Afo Erassa (Clermont/FRA) Midfielders: Kaka Aziawonou (Youngs Boys/SUI), Cherif Toure Mamam (Metz/FRA), Thomas Dossevi (Valencien/FRA), Alexis Romao (CS Louhans Cuiseaux/FRA), Adekambi Olufade (Al Siliyah/QAT), Yao Junior Senaya (YF Juventus/SUI), Sheyi Adebayor (Arsenal/ENG) Forwards: Robert Malm (Brest/FRA), Abdel-Kader Cougbadja (Guingamp/FRA), Massamesso Tchangai (Benevento/ITA), Moustapha Salifou (Brest/FRA)

Dixon bullish over Arsenal hopes
Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon has tipped the Gunners to beat Barcelona in Wednesday's Champions League final. Dixon told Sir Stanley: "Personally, I think Arsenal are better suited to playing a fluent Barcelona team rather than a regimented AC Milan side. "Both teams love to attack and that's good for us - it's a final we can win. "Defensively, Arsenal have broken all sorts of records in Europe and with the pace of Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry they have the ability to score." Dixon's confidence over Arsenal's chances in the final in Paris is also based on the way the Gunners have reserved their best performances this season for Europe. "This is a very young Arsenal side and the Champions League has offered the players some respite from the Premiership," said Dixon, who played for Arsenal between 1988 and 2002. "In the league away from Highbury they have been bullied, pushed off the ball and outfought - that is why they have lost so many games on their travels. "But when they been away in Europe they have come up against a different type of football, where they have not been kicked off the ball and the players have liked it." Henry was born in the Les Ulis suburbs of Paris and one of the final's sub-plots will be whether the showdown will be the French international striker's final match for Arsenal. The 28-year-old striker has yet to renew his contract, which ends in 2007, and has repeatedly been linked to Arsenal's Champions League opponents Barcelona. Henry has said he will make a decision over his Arsenal future before the start of the World Cup on June 9. "I change my mind from day to day as to whether Thierry will stay or go," said Dixon. "When you saw him kiss the Highbury turf for the last time in the game against Wigan, you can't help but think he is ready to leave. "Likewise if Arsenal win the final he might speculate that he has achieved everything he can with the club. "But, to be honest, Thierry is quite a private person and I don't know him well enough to speculate on which way he is thinking. "What I do know is that the club is bigger than any one player and if Thierry does leave the club will find somebody else. "Don't forget that is what happened when Ian Wright left." Dixon was part of the Arsenal side that won the European Cup Winners' Cup against Parma in Copenhagen in 1994. "You do get a feeling that you're going to win certain games," he added. "We got battered against Parma but once Alan Smith scored there was a sense we were going to win. "That is invaluable. You get the feeling you can climb mountains and knock down walls. "Team spirit is much talked about but if you have that among a group of talented players that have bonded together you can beat anyone. "Defender Martin Keown used to tell us that Arsenal's team spirit was so good we could have beaten Brazil." In 1995 Dixon played in a second successive European Cup Winners' Cup final, although his memories of that occasion are altogether less happy. Arsenal lost to Real Zaragoza in Paris in the Parc des Princes stadium after Nayim's astonishing lob over David Seaman in the game's final minute of extra-time. "We were 30 seconds away from penalties," said Dixon. "I was the first penalty-taker and I was already thinking I was going to put the ball to the keeper's left. "Waiting for the referee to blow his whistle I looked up I and saw Nayim pick up the ball. "I wondered why he was shooting and I turned around and looked at David Seaman and I saw how Nayim had hit the ball and I knew it was in. The rest is history." Eleven years on, Dixon is anticipating Arsenal will be making a very different sort of history by winning the Champions League for the first time.

Cole's agent requests FA hearing
Ashley Cole's agent Jonathan Barnett has requested a personal hearing from the Football Association after denying charges of breaching their rules. The case relates to Barnett's alleged involvement in a meeting between Cole, who plays for Arsenal, and Chelsea representatives in January 2005. Cole, Chelsea and Blues manager Jose Mourinho were fined over the incident. Barnett has also been accused of breaching Fifa's code of conduct governing players' agents. The code requires agents to respect the rights of third parties, in this case Arsenal. Barnett was charged by the FA under Rule E1 (e) which covers breaches of the rules of leagues affiliated to the FA. It is alleged he brought about a breach by Cole of Premier League Rule K5 which relates to illegal approaches to clubs by players under contract. No date has yet been set for Barnett's hearing. Chelsea were fined £300,000 and handed them a suspended three-point deduction when the Premier League investigated the case last year. Mourinho and Cole were also fined £75,000 apiece, with Cole failing in an appeal against his punishment. All three were said to have breached league rules by meeting without Arsenal's knowledge. Chelsea were found guilty of breaking Premier League rule K3, forbidding them approaching Cole by any means while he was under contract. Cole was found to be in breach of rule K5, which stopped him from approaching Chelsea with a view to negotiating a transfer without permission from Arsenal.

Final linesman denies Barca bias
One of the linesmen for the Champions League final has protested his impartiality after being photographed in a Barcelona shirt on Monday. Norwegian Ole Hermann Borgan wore the shirt for a photoshoot with his local newspaper, Drammens Tidende. "There is no reason to doubt my impartiality - I don't support either of the teams," Borgan said. Uefa has no plans to replace Borgan for the final in Paris on Wednesday, a spokesperson told Sir Stanley. Arsenal have refused to comment on the story before their manager, Arsene Wenger, gives his pre-match news conference at 1645 BST on Tuesday. The newspaper wanted Borgan to wear both Arsenal and Barcelona shirts for the photoshoot, according to its sports editor Per Jan Brekke. But the official found out he only owned a Barca shirt - and this was the picture that appeared in Tuesday's edition of the paper. "It was both insensitive and stupid of me. I did not think deeply enough about the situation and the consequences when I was asked to dress up in the shirt," Borgan said. The officials for the final will all be Norwegian, with Terje Hauge the main man in charge. Steinar Holvik and Borgan will run the lines. "We are on our way to Paris to do a good job - nothing more, nothing less," Borgan said. Norway's referees chief, Rune Pedersen, agreed that Borgan had been unwise to pose in the shirt. "There is an unwritten rule that officials must not do anything which will cast doubt on their impartiality," he said.

Linesman ejected from Paris final
One of the linesmen for the Champions League final has been replaced after being photographed wearing a Barcelona shirt on Monday. Norwegian Ole Hermann Borgan wore the shirt for a photoshoot with his local newspaper, Drammens Tidende. Borgan had insisted he would remain impartial and Uefa initially stuck by him before deciding to replace him with his compatriot Arild Sundet. Sundet is not yet in Paris, but will be flown in on Wednesday morning. The newspaper wanted Borgan to wear both Arsenal and Barcelona shirts for the photoshoot, according to its sports editor Per Jan Brekke. But the official found out he only owned a Barca shirt - and this was the picture that appeared in Tuesday's edition of the paper. "It was both insensitive and stupid of me. I did not think deeply enough about the situation and the consequences when I was asked to dress up in the shirt," Borgan said. "But there is no reason to doubt my impartiality - I don't support either of the teams." Norway's referees chief, Rune Pedersen, agreed that Borgan had been unwise to pose in the shirt. "There is an unwritten rule that officials must not do anything which will cast doubt on their impartiality," he said. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had earlier played down the incident, saying: "I never go into a game looking at the referees. "I always have a positive feeling about them. They always do the job as well as they can and in an honest way. "The fact that one of the guys is pictured in a Barcelona shirt doesn't change my mind." And his Barca counterpart Frank Rijkaard added: "Arsenal should give him a shirt straight away and take a photo. Then we will be levelled. "I really don't think it makes any difference, as far as I know he was on holiday." The officials for the final will all be Norwegian, with Hauge the main man in charge and Steinar Holvik and Sundet running the lines. Hauge was critical of Borgan but said he understood why he had posed for the picture. He explained: "It was a stupid thing to do but I can assure you he did it in pure joy at being picked for this game. "There was no intention to bring speculation that he is a Barcelona supporter. He put a shirt on to symbolise the final. "He has never been a Barca fan. It was a stupid slip which he regrets a lot."

Cole prepared for Ronaldinho test
Arsenal's Ashley Cole will be out to banish his Ronaldinho nightmare when he faces the Brazilian in the Champions League final against Barcelona. Cole admits he was caught out when Ronaldinho set up Brazil's first goal against England in the 2002 World Cup. "I've fell for one of his stepovers at the World Cup," said the left-back. "He nearly put me on the floor. "He is an amazing player but hopefully it brings out the best in you when you play against the best in the world." Ronaldinho picked up the ball in his own half during the quarter-final between the two countries in Japan before running at the heart of a backtracking England defence. He laid the ball to Rivaldo to equalise for Brazil before his free-kick, which looped over keeper David Seaman, earned Brazil a 2-1 victory. Ronaldinho was later sent-off but had already inflicted the damage. The memory still lingers in Cole's memory but he has warned that Arsenal will also have to be wary of Barcelona's other attacking players, including striker Samuel Eto'o and midfielder Deco. He added: "It's not just Ronaldinho but Eto'o and Deco plus other great players and it is going to be a tough game." Arsenal have their own star player in captain Thierry Henry and Cole has praised the striker for his goalscoring exploits this season, despite the speculation surrounding his future. Barcelona are aiming to sign the Frenchman this summer, and Henry has repeatedly said he will decide his future before the World Cup starts next month. "He's probably had a lot on his mind and to do what he has done he's been unbelievable," said Cole. "He's a great captain and he gets everybody up for the game which you want your captain to do. "He's scores goals and sets them up. What more do you want in a player? He's a great person as well." "You always know he is going to give 100% and you always feel you are going to win the game with him in your side and he has done brilliant this season. "People say he's a moaner but he's nothing like that. He's a great guy and a great player and a natural born winner."

Will Henry stay?
Will he won't he? That is the question surrounding the future of Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and whether he will sign a new contract with the club or decide to move on. Henry insists he will announce the outcome of his deliberations before the start of the World Cup on 9 June. But, until then, every twitch and squeak from the 28-year-old is being scrutinised in microscopic detail to try to gauge some sort of idea about what he is thinking. In the final Premiership game of the season, which was also Arsenal's swansong to their Highbury stadium, he knelt down to kiss the pitch. Some interpreted it as a gesture of delight as he lovingly said goodbye to the historical stadium while others saw it as signalling his imminent exit. The typically enigmatic Frenchman refuses to be drawn on the issue as he prepares for a Champions League final against Barcelona. And, in one of the strange quirks football regularly throws up, it just so happens the Nou Camp outfit are the club cited as his most likely destination. So, as he prepares to go back to his roots for the Paris showpiece, eyes will be trained on his battle for supremacy against Ronaldinho as keenly as his actions after the match. The result could have a crucial impact in what may amount to a decision about his future, which may come down to whether he lets his heart rule his head or vice-versa. If Arsenal are beaten, he faces the awkward choice of staying at Arsenal as manager Arsene Wenger continues to mould his youthful side by adding more of a consistency to their ability. Or, as is the case with Barcelona, he could leave for a diamond which has already been cut with the additional prospect of linking up with Ronaldinho. Another factor to come into the equation will be that a Champions League winners' medal is the only major honour missing from the Henry trophy cabinet. A win on Wednesday and the prospect of captaining the club into their new stadium next season could tip the scales in Arsenal's favour. But after his exploits at Arsenal and the magic he has brought to English football, his team-mate Dennis Bergkamp surmised: "I can say now whatever he does you have to respect him for it because it won't be a decision he has made overnight." One thing for certain from Henry, who has flourished at Arsenal since joining for £10.5m from Juventus during August 1999, is that he will not settle for second best. He said: "You can never reach perfection. I'm trying to do it and that's the only way you can progress and try to get better. "We all know we are not perfect and everyone in the game is going to miss something so trying to reach perfection will keep you on your toes."

Barcelona-Arsenal team news/stats
Arsenal confirm that Robert Pires will start in midfield instead of Jose Antonio Reyes, who is on the bench. Centre-back Philippe Senderos is fit again but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger seems set to stick with Sol Campbell. Mathieu Flamini (hamstring) should be available and will challenge Ashley Cole for a starting place at left-back. Barcelona are giving forward Lionel Messi, who has not played for two months, as much time as possible to recover from a thigh injury. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Almunia, Poom, Cole, Senderos, Toure, Clichy, Campbell, Eboue, Djourou, Flamini, Ljungberg, Pires, Gilberto, Hleb, Reyes, Fabregas, Song, Henry, Van Persie, Bergkamp. Barcelona (from): Jorquera, Ruben, Valdes, Belletti, Edmilson, Marquez, Mora, Presas, Puyol, Rodri, Sylvinho, Van Bronckhorst, Deco, Gabri, Giuly, Iniesta, Motta, Ronaldinho, Van Bommel, Verdu, Hernandez, Eto'o, Ezquerro, Larsson, Lopez, Messi. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BIG MATCH NOTES Undefeated sides clash in Champions League final When Arsenal and FC Barcelona meet in Saint-Dénis on Wednesday, two undefeated sides will contest the final of this season's Champions League. The two teams have recorded eight victories and four draws each in their first 12 matches. It is the third time since the competition began in 1992 that two teams have reached the final unbeaten. This also occurred in 1992/93 and 93/94. In the former final, Olympique Marseille beat AC Milan by 1-0. Milan made amends in style the next season by beating Barcelona 4-0. Arsenal retain watertight defence in knockout phase Arsenal have not conceded a Champions League goal since 27 September 2005. The sequences of 10 consecutive clean sheets and 919 minutes without letting in a goal are both Champions League records. Rijkaard can join exclusive club Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard won the Champions League three times (1989, 1990 and 1995) as a player and hopes to join the short list of Champions Cup/Champions League winners as player and trainer. Only four people have done this - Miguel Munoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff and Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti was the last to accomplish the feat and he was one of the players who partnered Rijkaard as a player, winning the 1988/89 and 1989/90 Champions Cup trophies with AC Milan. In the latter final, Rijkaard scored the only goal of the match as the 'rossoneri' overcame Benfica. By 1995, Rijkaard had returned to the club where he started his professional career, Amsterdam-based side Ajax. In the final against former employer AC Milan, he provided the assist for Patrick Kluivert's match winner. Arsenal can complete a set of European silverware If Arsenal beat Barcelona, they will add the missing piece in a set of European silverware. In 1969/70, Arsenal's Fairs Cup win gave the Londoners their first European honours. In 1993/94, the Gunners added the Cup Winners' Cup to their trophy cabinet. Only four clubs, including Arsenal's opponents Barcelona, have won all three European competitions at least once. Barca have won the Champions Cup/Champions League once, the Cup Winners' Cup four times and the Fairs Cup/Uefa Cup three times. The other teams that have completed the set are Ajax, Bayern Munich and Juventus and therefore Arsenal can become the first English club to accomplish the feat. Neither finalists have fond memories of shoot-outs deciding finals in European competition In the 1979/80 Cup Winners' Cup final, Arsenal were denied by another Spanish side - Valencia - in a penalty shoot-out. After 120 minutes of football, the match was scoreless. Valencia's Mario Kempes and Arsenal's Liam Brady both missed the opening spot-kicks. The following nine were converted before Graham Rix saw his attempt parried by Valencia goalkeeper-turned-hero, Carlos Pereira. Barcelona were involved in the most embarrassing penalty shoot-out, from the point of view of the takers at least, in the 1985/86 Champions Cup final. Barca custodian Urruti saved the first two attempts by Steaua Bucharest, but surrendered two goals after that. All four Barcelona penalties were saved by Steaua goalie Helmuth Ducadam, who became a European legend overnight. In the final of the 1999/2000 Uefa Cup, Arsenal's shootout woes made Galatasaray the first ever Turkish winners of European silverware. Gala goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel saw Arsenal's Davor Suker and Patrick Vieira both hit the woodwork, as his team mates made no mistake from the spot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Definitions of terms used:- Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this competition which began in 1992/1993. Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in 1955/1956 including qualification matches. European matches - all matches played in the major European tournaments (Fairs Cup, Uefa Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League). Uefa Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and the old Intercontinental Cup competition are excluded. Head-to-Head FC Barcelona and Arsenal have met each other twice in Europe. In the 1999/2000 Champions League first round group phase, these sides drew 1-1 at the Camp Nou, but the Spaniards won 2-4 in London. Arsenal players Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg and Dennis Bergkamp were involved in both encounters. Barcelona's Gabri made one substitute appearance, whilst Xavi and Carles Puyol were on the bench for both legs. Barcelona have played 51 European matches against clubs from England and have won 24, drawn 14 and lost 13. The Spaniards have outscored the English clubs by 101-63. Barca have been eliminated from European competition by English clubs on six occasions. They have eliminated English clubs from the knock-out stages 12 times. The Catalan-based club have met English opposition in three European finals. After winning the Fairs Cup in 1958 and 1960 by defeating London XI and Birmingham City respectively, the Catalans lost the final of the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup against Manchester United (2-1). Arsenal have played 20 European matches against clubs from Spain and have won seven, drawn five and lost eight. Arsenal have been eliminated from European competition by Spanish clubs on three occasions, including the lost Cup Winners' Cup finals to Valencia (1980) and Real Zaragoza (1995). Arsenal have knocked out three Spanish clubs from European competition, including Real Madrid in this season's Champions League second round. European history The best result by Barcelona in the Champions League is finishing runners-up to AC Milan in 1993/94. In 1992, Barcelona won the Champions Cup. They have also amassed four Cup Winners' Cups, three Uefa Cups and two European Super Cups. This is Barca's 10th season in the Champions League. Arsenal's best result in the Champions League is reaching the final of this year's competition. The Londoners are making their eighth appearance in the CL main competition. Arsenal's European trophies are the 1969/1970 Fairs Cup and the 1993/94 Cup Winners' Cup. Current European form Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 12 Champions League matches. Their last loss was the 4-2 defeat at Chelsea last season. Barcelona's club record unbeaten run in the Champions League stands at 16 and was set between May 2002 and April 2003. Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in their last four CL matches, thereby equalling the club record for most successive clean sheets in the Champions League which was set between February and March 2003. Together with Arsenal, Barcelona are the only unbeaten team in this season's Champions League. Arsenal's undefeated run in the Champions League is now 13 matches, which is a club record in the competition. The club record in European competition stands at 16 and was set between September 1993 and April 1995. This Champions League season, the Gunners have so far won eight matches and drawn four, outscoring their opponents by 14-2. The only players that have scored against Arsenal this CL season are Nelson Ferreira (FC Thun) and Markus Rosenberg (Ajax). Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 10 CL matches. The previous CL record was held by AC Milan, who kept seven clean sheets in the 2004/05 season. The 10 consecutive clean sheets also mark an all-time record in all European competitions. The previous record of nine was set by Ajax in the late 1980s. The 919 minutes without conceding a goal is also a Champions League record, clearly ahead of Ajax's run of 658 minutes without conceding a goal, set in 1996. Player and disciplinary info Rafael Marquez, Carles Puyol and Mark van Bommel (Barcelona) will be suspended if they receive a yellow card. Arsenal's Kolo Habib Toure and Matthieu Flamini will be suspended if they receive a yellow card. Xavi is the most experienced Barcelona player with 57 CL appearances. The other players in the Barcelona squad with at least 50 Champions League matches are Carles Puyol (56) and Deco (52). Ronaldinho and Deco are the most prolific goalscorers in Barcelona's squad with 11 career goals in the Champions League. Samuel Eto'o is on 10 goals. Ronaldinho (seven) and Samuel Eto'o (five) are Barcelona's top scorers this Champions League season. Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the only Barcelona player to have played in every Champions League match this season. Van Bronckhorst was signed from Arsenal in 2003. He played 11 Champions League matches for the Gunners. Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been in goal for seven of the 10 clean sheet matches and also kept a clean sheet in his last match before this season's run - the 1-0 win against Bayern Munich. In total, Lehmann has kept goal for Arsenal for 745 minutes without conceding a goal. This is a CL record previously held by Edwin van der Sar, who in the 1995/96 season did not concede a goal for 658 minutes while playing for Ajax. The last player to score against Lehmann was Hasan Salihamidzic in the 65th minute of Bayern's 3-1 victory against Arsenal in last season's Champions League. Thierry Henry is Arsenal's most experienced player and top scorer in this competition with 78 matches and 41 goals. His 69 matches for Arsenal in the competition are the most by an Arsenal player. Henry has scored 49 goals in all European competitions and can become the seventh player to net 50 times if he scores against Barcelona. Fredrik Ljungberg has made more appearances in the Champions League than any other Swede (59). Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast, 36) and Lauren (Cameroon, 53) are also the CL record appearance makers for their countries. Cesc Fabregas is the only Arsenal player to have appeared in every Champions League match this season. Henry clinched his fourth English top scorer title this season by netting 27 goals in the Premiership. Other miscellaneous facts FC Barcelona have already clinched the Spanish league title. Arsenal ensured themselves of Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premiership.

Henry poised to sign new contract
Thierry Henry is set to end months of speculation over his future by signing a new contract at Arsenal, inspired by their Champions League final display. Henry, whose contract runs out next year, had been linked with a move to Champions League winners Barcelona. "I hope to stay as long as I can keep running. I couldn't leave the fans. They're like family," he told the Sun. "I love Barcelona, but on Wednesday Arsenal showed they had heart. I hope to finalise details today." Gunners captain Henry, 28, joined from Juventus in August 1999 and has gone on to become the club's record goalscorer. He was recently voted Football Writers' Association player of the year for the third time, and in his acceptance speech, he said that he now considered London his home. On the flight back from Arsenal's Champions League final defeat in Paris, he is reported to have told passengers "we will come back next year." If he does pledge his future to Arsenal, it will be a huge boost to the club ahead of their move to their new Emirates Stadium next season. It will also help cushion the loss of striker Dennis Bergkamp, who is retiring after 11 years' service to the club.

Arsenal rejected £50m Henry bids
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein says the club turned down two £50m offers for striker Thierry Henry before he agreed to sign a new four-year deal. Henry's decision ended any chance of him replacing £47m Zinedine Zidane as the world's most expensive player. "We turned down two world record deals from Spanish clubs. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out who they were," he told the Sunday Express. "Our message was clear - he wasn't for sale. I'd like to think he heard that." Dein also revealed that the contract Henry signed was one that he was offered back in January. "We made an offer in January, prodded Thierry now and then, but never put pressure on him," he said. "Money wasn't really mentioned. He wanted to know where we were going, but in reality I think he knew." Dein said the chance to influence the next generation of youngsters at Arsenal, who want to play with him, may also have persuaded Henry to stay on. "He had seen the youngsters emerge after a dark period. "We have three teenagers at the World Cup - how many other clubs can say that? "The reason they are here is because of Thierry. The first question Theo Walcott asked was "Will Thierry still be here?". "I believe he also knew that if he went to a club like Barcelona or Real Madrid, he would just be a prince. Here he knows he is a king." Dein also hinted that Robert Pires could be ready to move away from the club. He told Sir Stanley: "There will be a time now where there will be certain changes. "We are looking to bring in one or two new players and it may be that one or two decide it's time to move on."

Fenerbahce deny Campbell rumours
Fenerbahce have insisted they have not offered a deal to Sol Campbell. Reports in British newspapers had suggested the 31-year-old Arsenal defender was the subject of an £8m bid from the Turkish side. It was claimed that Campbell's representative had met Fenerbahce officials last week. But a statement on the Fenerbahce website said: "Reports that Campbell will sign in the coming days do not reflect the realities." Campbell scored Arsenal's goal in the 2-1 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona last week but he has had a troubled season. He walked out after being substituted at half-time in a home game against West Ham in February. And he has admitted that he has suffered a turbulent year, both with injuries and off-the-field problems. Campbell, who is part of England's World Cup squad, is contracted to Arsenal for the next three years after he signed a new deal in 2005.

Pires agrees deal with Villarreal
Arsenal winger Robert Pires has agreed a two-year contract with Villarreal. Pires will join on a free transfer subject to passing a medical - bringing to an end his six-year career as an Arsenal player. "I have decided to accept a new challenge at Villarreal for the next two years of my career," said Pires on Arsenal's website. Pires, 33, would have been out of contract with the Gunners in June but had been offered a new one-year deal. Pires added on the Villarreal website: "I am delighted to have signed for Villarreal for the next two seasons and hope to help the club to continue the great work they have done in the past few years." The former France international was the Football Writers' Player of the Year in 2002 and won two Premiership titles and two FA Cup winners as an Arsenal player. Pires made 284 appearances for the London club. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: "Robert has had six tremendous years with us and made a huge contribution to the team's success during his time here. "He is not only a great footballer but a good man, so of course, we are sad to see him go. "I would like to thank Robert for the dedication, determination and passion he has shown and wish him well in his career." Arsenal signed Pires from Marseille for £6m in 2000. His final match for the Gunners was the Champions League final, when he was substituted in the first-half following the dismissal of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. He made 284 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring 84 goals. Pires is expected to be officially unveiled as a Villarreal player on either 2 or 3 July.

during the week arsenal made their first summer buy in tomas rosicky for an undisclosed fee, but speculted to be around 6 million half of what borussia dortmund paid sparta prague for his services 5 years ago. he was a big target for a few clubs last season,including spurs. he has been a big target because he is young, physical and can play on the wing or as a second forword. he is commented to say " i have joined the best team in europe". but his maine reson for joining said the 25 year old was "i will be training and playing the best footballer in the world thierry henry", and who blame him. in my eyes you can forget ballack and possibly the arrival of an aging schevchenko to monopoly,sorry chelsea. this has to be the best buy so far in the premeriship. hopefully the next signing for the gooners will be an established englishman?

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