Henry's goals propel Arsenal towards double
Thierry Henry's goal-scoring instinct and a tungsten-tough team spirit have powered Arsenal to within touching distance of an English league and FA Cup double.
Arsenal believe they have finished second to Manchester United far too often in the league since their last double in 1998 and Henry, in particular, wants to make amends for the 2-1 defeat by Liverpool in last season's Cup final.
Victory over Chelsea on Saturday in the first all-London final for 20 years would give Arsenal their eighth FA Cup triumph and leave them needing just a point against champions Manchester United four days later to win the double.
That would be a great achievement for a side whose defence has been ruptured by injuries all season, who have scored in every league game and been undefeated away in the league -- while losing five of their six Champions League away matches.
Central defender and captain Tony Adams, England goalkeeper David Seaman and right back Lee Dixon will equal the club record of five FA Cup final appearances if they play on Saturday.
But they have been absent for large stretches of the season along with England's left back Ashley Cole and central defender Martin Keown, leaving Sol Campbell to shoulder the burden in his first season since a controversial move from Tottenham Hotspur.
Campbell has partnered six different players in the middle of the back and played 34 games in succession before a hamstring injury ruled him out early this month.
The England international hopes to play in Cardiff on Saturday after coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat of Bolton on Monday.
PIRES INJURY
While the patched-up defence has performed with great credit, it is the sight of Arsenal going forward at pace that has had the pundits purring this season.
For periods during the home defeats of Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal's passing, interplay and speed of thought and movement left the visitors clutching at air.
This artistry was orchestrated by France's Robert Pires who misses the Cup final due to a serious ligament injury which means he will also miss the World Cup finals.
Pires was voted the player of the year by English journalists and his absence threatened to stall Arsenal's push for the league title. That they have kept on winning -- victory against Bolton was their 11th in succession, a premier league record -- gives weight to Wenger's view that his side's mental toughness is unequalled.
No-one personifies this roll-up-your-sleeves attitude better than Freddie Ljungberg, the scorer of a remarkable 16 goals this season as a midfielder.
The Swede has taken the strain off Patrick Vieira and, since Pires's injury, has scored six goals and run himself into the ground for his manager.
His goal at Liverpool two days before Christmas was the turning point in Arsenal's season.
Reduced to 10 men, Arsenal dug in and scored through Henry near halftime after Ljungberg was fouled in the penalty area.
Seven minutes into the second half Pires took off down the left. Ljungberg started a run from well inside his own half and, arriving at full speed, was in place to touch home Pires's cross at the near post.
That 2-1 victory started an unbeaten run in the league and FA Cup which is still to be broken, mirroring their run from mid-December towards the double in 1997/98.
ATTACKING SKILLS
But Arsenal would have achieved little this season without Henry who at times has shown all-round attacking skills not seen since Kenny Dalglish was in his pomp 20 years ago.
Henry has scored 30 goals and while he does not possess the goal-scoring instincts of Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy, his speed, touch and ball skills make him the complete attacker.
Last year's FA Cup final showed up a major flaw in Henry's make-up as he wasted a number of chances through over-elaboration and Liverpool won with two late goals from England's ultimate goal-poacher, Michael Owen.
Henry has ironed out this fault and formed a lethal French sphere of influence with Pires, Vieira and Sylvain Wiltord.
Wiltord, scorer of 16 goals, is among the most improved players in the Arsenal squad this season. His vision has never been in doubt but last season he ran into far too many dead ends with the ball and seemed shy of physical contact.
This season he has finally become a team player, making his share of tackles, tracking back to help the midfield and providing a stream of chances for Henry and Dennis Bergkamp who has flowered in the latter stages of the season after being only a bit player early on.
Amid all the success two matters have caused problems throughout the season -- the team's disciplinary record and the future of Vieira, the side's linchpin for five seasons.
The north London side have received six red and 69 yellow cards this season compared with one red and 48 yellows for Manchester United.
Vieira's plans have been a subject of controversy for nine months and, although he remains under contract, rumours of his departure for Italy or Spain in the close season continue to bubble.
