Thierry Henry is confident Arsenal can survive a massive test of their nerve against Chelsea on Tuesday night.
The Gunners go into the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal as favourites to go through following a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in the first leg.
But Arsene Wenger’s side have seen their confidence rattled by two matches in six days against arch rivals Manchester United, both of which saw them blow their chance to crush their opponents.
Saturday’s 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup semifinal, which followed a 1-1 draw in the Premiership six days earlier, ended Arsenal’s chances of a treble of league, cup and Champions League titles. But Henry insisted the north Londoners had never been banking on emulating United’s 1999 achievement.
”Who was talking about the treble? I didn’t hear one of our players talking about the treble,” the Frenchman insisted. ”A lot of the press were talking about the treble, we were not.
”We always said we would try to play game by game, which is what we are going to do now. We are going to try to sort ourselves out and get back on the winning road against Chelsea.
”At least we still have something to look forward to at the end of the season. If it was our only game to win something it would have been a massive game but we still have the league in front of us and the Champions League and there is nothing better to pick yourselves up.”
Henry’s upbeat tone was echoed by compatriot Robert Pires.
”Tuesday night will be one of the most important [matches] of the season and I hope we will be able to bounce back from this defeat,” Pires said.
”Personally I don’t believe it will affect us that much.”
The reality, however, is that Arsenal are suddenly facing a crisis of sorts. The Chelsea match is followed by Premiership clashes against Liverpool on Friday and Newcastle on Sunday that, if they go badly, could see Arsenal’s seven-point Premiership lead whittled away to the kind of margin that would blow the title race wide open once more.
That still seems unlikely and even United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes they will not blow their lead in the league.
But the Scot was quick to underline that the side which has eclipsed his own this season could struggle against Chelsea.
”I think they have got a difficult game on Tuesday night,” Ferguson said. ”Where I got a bit of luck today I think [Chelsea boss] Claudio Ranieri is due a bit of luck, with the pressure he is under.
”I would not bet on them on Tuesday night. It is not an easy one. They have made it a difficult game.”
That dig drew a trademark response from Wenger.
”We have heard it so many times I don’t listen to what he said,” the Arsenal boss said tetchily, unconciously providing a perfect illustration at just how effective Ferguson’s mind games can be.
Wenger was reminded that an FA Cup semifinal defeat in 1999, courtesy of Ryan Giggs’s unforgettable extra-time winner, led to his side’s double challenge collapsing while United went on to win their treble.
”You cannot compare the Man U team of that time with the team of this season,” was his acerbic response.
Wenger has been highly critical of the way his side have been obliged to play five crucial games in the space of 14 days, but insists his side are capable of coping.
”The players gave everything to get to the FA Cup final and they were very down after the match on Saturday but the fact they have a big game again on Tuesday will help us.
”I’m not worried about the mentality of the players. I feel the players are hugely strong.
”We have to accept that when you play so many big games there are some games where you are a little less fluid or clinical in the finish.
”But we have a massive game on Tuesday and we must pick ourselves up.”
That task has not been eased by injuries midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg and Spanish winger Jose Antonio Reyes, which have ruled both of them out of the Chelsea match and for most of the rest of the season.
Ljungberg is facing a lay-off of at least four weeks with a suspected broken hand while Reyes is likely to be out for at least three weeks after being left with knee ligament damage as a result of a tackle from behind by United’s match-winner Paul Scholes.
”It is a big blow to lose as well as to lose two players because our squad is a little short,” Wenger admitted.
The Arsenal manager defended his decision to start with Henry on the bench and insisted he had not played a weakened team because it was the FA Cup.
”Thierry played for France in midweek and he came back very tired. We have four games in seven days and they are only human, these guys.
”Obviously the Champions League and the Premiership are our priorities but when you are in the FA Cup semifinal you want to win it,” Wenger said.
Ferguson was delighted with the spirit displayed by his side, although he acknowledged they were indebted to two saves from Roy Carroll inside the first five minutes, which kept them in the match.
”We could have been two nothing down in five minutes — you need a foundation and we got that foundation with the two saves.”
Carroll’s two saves were followed by Pires missing a free header from eight yards out and United made their opponents pay for their profligacy with a well-worked goal from their only real chance of the match.
Gary Neville was the unlikely provider with a cleverly disguised pass that found Giggs floating through the inside right channel.
The Welshman did not squander the dangerous amount of space he had been generously accorded by the Arsenal defence. A hard low cross found the right boot of Scholes and Jens Lehmann was left with no chance by the England midfielder’s first-time shot from 12 yards. — Sapa-AFP