THIERRY HENRY insists Arsenal can still lift the
Premier League title.
But the Gunners legend admits they must shackle the
best player in the world in 37-goal Cristiano Ronaldo to achieve
it.
Arsene Wenger’s side face Manchester United at Old
Trafford tomorrow knowing victory will put them three points behind
Alex Ferguson’s side.
And Barcelona star Henry insists Arsenal must not let
their dramatic Champions League defeat at Liverpool affect
them.
Last season Emmanuel Adebayor bagged a late winner at
Old Trafford while Henry did the same at the Emirates.
And Henry said: It’s not about the loss at Liverpool
affecting them or not. The world knows that they need to win at Old
Trafford, no more, no less.
If there is a team who can beat Manchester United it’s
Arsenal. Last year Arsenal did the double against them.
I didn’t play at Old Trafford but Ade had an amazing
game and scored. Then I scored the winner at the Emirates.
There’s still a possibility of Arsenal winning this
title. There’s five games remaining so 15 points.
The difference between Man United and Arsenal is six
points. You never know what can happen.
Chelsea and Manchester United are still in the
Champions League and it’s never an easy task to combine the
two.
United’s last game against Middlesbrough showed that if
you have a go at them it is possible, even though they had players
injured. Rio was injured and Vidic too.
Henry was on the edge of his seat watching the
pulsating Liverpool-Arsenal Euro tie and was left gutted by the
outcome.
He said: I was like anyone who loves Arsenal. I was sad
because they were so close to going through.
I was watching the game at the hotel where Barcelona
were before our game with Schalke with some of my team-mates.
Everybody was glued to the TV as you couldn’t get your eyes off
it.
It was just ridiculous — the pace of the game, the
chances, the tackles. When Ade scored I went down on my knees. I
was just so happy for him.
I was so happy for Theo because he made a great run.
Everybody expects so much from him and in five seconds he showed
what he can do.
It was a big relief. But then within a minute, straight
after, Ryan Babel won the penalty and then he did it again and put
the ball in the back of the net. It happened so quickly.
Henry’s Barca face United in the Champions League
semi-finals and he admits Ronaldo is the best player in the world
at the moment.
He said: This is Cristiano Ronaldo’s year. He will be
World Player of the Year. There’s nobody else. The way he’s playing
is just ridiculous.
I respect him a hell of a lot — especially the way he
came back from the World Cup.
The whole of England was waiting for him to kill him,
waiting for him to fail, and he didn’t.
Barcelona have struggled in La Liga this season but
will have their own wonderkid Leo Messi back in action against
United after a lengthy lay-off with a thigh problem.
Henry added: I’m sure that everybody will think United
are favourites because of the way they’re playing but in the
Champions League it’s different. So many times we’ve seen
upsets.
We’re having some problems in the league — it could
have been better.
But we’re still in the semi-finals of the Champions
League and still have a chance of winning the biggest trophy.
I am confident we can knock United out. We haven’t lost
a game in the Champions League.
