Arsenal players need to beat Atletico, Henry and Wenger tonight
Euro records need to be rewritten at The Emirates
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.
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.