4 May 2026; Derry City supporters Danny, left, and Charlie Canning ahead of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Derry and Galway United at Find Insurance Celtic Park. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Arsenal players need to beat Atletico, Henry and Wenger tonight
Euro records need to be rewritten at The Emirates
Cathal Dervan, Editor
It’s the Thierry Henry factor that should drive the Arsenal players on tonight, the Arsene Wenger factor that should inspire Mikel Arteta to his finest hour.
The Gunners face Atletico Madrid at the Emirates with their Champions League hopes poised nicely after a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital last week though the same can be said of .
Chaos has been a word widely used in many debates about the night of the three penalties in that first leg, two of which were converted into goals and one of which was awarded then overturned by our old and unwanted friend VAR.
And chaos is an appropriate word for a game that epitomised just why a place in a Champions League final has to be earned, whether you do it by scoring five goals or four in Paris or by restricting chances to a bare minimum in Madrid.
London provides the stage tonight followed by Munich tomorrow with Budapest the final destination on the last Saturday in May.
Arsenal haven’t been in a Champions League final since 2006 when they were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona at the Stade De France in their only appearance at that stage of the tournament and a game also remembered for the 18th minute dismissal of their goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
Whilst many Gunners are fixated with the end of their 22-year wait for the Premier League crown, the European Cup remains a holy grail for the club.
To do that, they will need to take inspiration from any quarter they can tonight so let’s start with the history books.
Thierry Henry provided the assist for the Sol Campbell goal in that 2006 decider but his impact on Arsenal’s Champions League record is more far reaching than that. Henry holds two Arsenal CL records - the most appearances at 78 games and the most goals at 35 according to UEFA records.
Arsene Wenger was the coach for that 2006 loss to Barcelona and is the most successful Arsenal manager ever with 17 trophies to his name including three Premier Leagues and seven FA Cups.
What Henry and Wenger lack, what they are certain to have longed for in their impressive Arsenal careers, is a European success with the Gunners. Henry did win the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009 but never with a cannon on his shirt. Wenger managed in two Euro finals, the second being the 2000 UEFA Cup final loss to Galatasaray.
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Atletico can point to similar inspirations tonight. The only club to have ever lost three Champions League finals, winning one is the over-riding ambition of their brilliant manager Diego Simeone who has reached four semi-finals but never won one.
So hunger and ambition will be a crucial factor this evening. There is no doubt that both teams possess the skill levels and the ability to win this game but motivation is going to be everything in the white hot intensity of battle at the Emirates.
The Arsenal players can do a Thierry Henry tonight and make it to the final, likewise Arteta can emulate Wenger and steer the Gunners to Budapest.
It’s how much they want to surpass Henry and Wenger’s Arsenal achievements that will really decide how far they go in this season’s Champions League - and the history books.
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In the season that keeps on giving, Spurs and Forest turn the tables on the Hammers…. Kevin and Cathal talk Champions League, the Premier League title race and who’s staying up.
Former Ireland star Enda Stevens has called on Republic boss Heimir Hallgrimsson to give youth a chance when he names his squad today for the upcoming training camp in Spain that includes a friendly against Grenada.
Capped 26 times by his country, Stevens is now back for a second spell at Shamrock Rovers where he is playing alongside talented teenagers including Victor Ozhianvuna, Michael Noonan and Adam Brennan.
Hoops boss Stephen Bradley has repeatedly called on Hallgrimsson to bring 17-year-old Ozhianvuna in his plans for the Murcia trip or the end of season games at home to Qatar and Canada while Bohs head coach Alan Reynolds wants to see his midfielder Dawson Devoy involved in next week’s training camp.
Stevens, now 35, is happy to back the calls for youth to be given a chance when Hallgrimsson goes public with his first post-Prague squad today.
He told the Irish Mirror: “They [Rovers’ teenagers] do seem like men. And the way they approach it, they are confident, they are gamey, they are not shy, they don’t play within themselves.
“They stick their chests out, they want to go out there and be the best players on the pitch, and it’s excellent to see. You have got to work for your opportunity. You look at Vic, you look at Michael and Adam as well, and they are putting in the performances to get recognition.
“Why not give them a chance? There is no World Cup now, there are a lot of games to be played; friendlies and that. So you might as well give them a chance and see how they get on.”
FAI Director of Football and former Shamrock Rovers CEO John Martin is set to be asked by the media to publicly explain the contractual issues that prompted Michael Noonan’s family to make a complaint to the English FA.
The Sunday Times reports, via its Ireland football correspondent Paul Rowan, that Martin is scheduled to host a briefing on the FAI’s strategy for football at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday.
Rowan writes that Martin will also be given the opportunity by Irish football journalists to clarify his role in the contract saga involving teenage Shamrock Rovers striker Noonan.
The paper first reported earlier this year that Noonan’s family had made an official complaint to the English FA re his English agent David Moss over transfer details included in the contract which came to their attention after a move to German side Hoffenheim failed to materialise.
Shamrock Rovers have since self-reported details of the contract to FIFA with the initial report in the Sunday Times prompting a statement from the club around the deal agreed between Moss and Martin, in his then role as CEO.
The initial Rovers statement said: “When the chair and the board became aware of these agreements in August 2025, independent legal advice was sought, and Fifa was proactively engaged to discuss. The process with Fifa is ongoing and the FAI has been notified.”
The English FA confirmed to the Sunday Times that they had received the complaint from the Noonan family but said it is now a matter for the FAI. Both the FAI and FIFA declined to make any comment to the paper.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will fight on in the title race despite Monday night’s 3-3 Premier League at Everton, a result that hands the initiative back to table toppers Arsenal.
A 97th minute leveller from Jeremy Doku may just have kept City in contention but Guardiola was honest enough in his post match interview with Sky Sports to concede favouritism to Arsenal.
“Really good performance,” Guardilla told Sky Sports. “We played an outstanding first half. It was so difficult with their physicality.
“Second-half, they made a step up. We didn’t have as much control and we gave away the goal. After that they come back and make a proper English game, so aggressive in the duels.
“We take the point and until it’s over, we’re going to continue. Everton away is always difficult and I give credit to them for their composure and aggression.
“It’s better than a loss. We played to win. It just shows what the team are. We tried and we have done it. It’s not in our hands. Before it was in our hands. Now, no.
“We have to do it in our four games that we have in the Premier League. It will be quite similar against Brentford. We will see what happens.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has labelled their defence of the Premier League title as ‘unacceptable’ and urged his team-mates to ensure Champions League qualification before their poor season comes to a close.
Beaten 3-2 at Manchester United on Sunday, Liverpool can still confirm CL qualification with four points from their remaining three league games against Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford.
The BBC reports Van Dijk as saying post the United defeat: “I’m not here to make excuses. It’s been a very disappointing season, an unacceptable season, and it’s tough. We shouldn’t feel sorry for ourselves whatsoever.
“We have to work and turn this around and make sure that next season these things don’t happen. It’s not Liverpool. But we have three games left and the realisation has to come from ourselves, as a group and as players, to make sure that we are in the Champions League because of the impact of it for the financial side for the club.
“But also because we want to be playing against the best teams in Europe. It’s not easy. But we keep going.”
Saints boss Stephen Kenny wasn’t a happy camper as he left Sligo’s Showgrounds with a point in the bag and question marks over the penalty decision that led to the equaliser from Archie Meekison.
Rovers scored from the spot just before half-time to cancel out Kian Leavy’s opener but Kenny was aggrieved by the decision of referee Marc Lynch to penalise Luke Turner for his clash with Carl McHugh.
Kenny told the Irish Sun: “The game has turned on that decision. The lads feel a bit let down by it as it totally changed the flow of the game.
“We probably could have had two frees of our own in the lead-up. They were blatant ones. The Sligo player is on the ground when Luke makes contact with him. We feel it’s harsh.”
Shamrock Rovers were the big winners on Monday as they beat Drogheda 4-1 in Tallaght. That result moves them three points clear of Pats at the top of table with Bohs scoring late in a 2-2 draw with Shels to stay in third spot.
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