The Champions League Final

The day has arrived for the biggest ever match in Arsenal’s history and with it the chance to crown ourselves and become Champions of Europe.

There has been so much written and said about this game that I fail to imagine where to start from. We start with the team news. As speculated before Wenger has chosen Sol ahead of Senderos. It’s unfortunate that the player who has been so instrumental in getting us where we are today shall not be able to start because of being short of match-fitness. Also Cole comes ahead of Flamini. So Eboue, Toure, Sol and Cole are the back four. News is that Pires has got a nod ahead of Reyes. So Pires and Hleb are to start alongside Cesc Fabregas, Freddie Ljungberg and Gilberto while Reyes should start form the bench. We know that the formation is most probably going to be 4-5-1. The complete 21-man Arsenal squad can be found here.

Ahead of the game an assistant referee has been substituted after he was punished by UEFA for portraying a partial stance when in a newspaper his photo wearing a Barcelona shirt had been published. Meanwhile woes don’t tend to end for Spurs. Tests conducted by the Health Protection Agency have given a clean sheet to the kitchen of the hotel in which the Spurs had stayed before their final match of the season and had allegedly been food poisoned.

Now for the game tonight!

What used to be a distant dream is now a reality that’s staring right into our eyes. The Champions League final is just round the corner or should I say a few hours apart. It’s a big big night for the fans, the players, the manager and the Club. Those who can witness this in the Stadium, those watching it on TV where you maybe it’s going to be a treat for the eyes. We the Gooners, as fans of Arsenal Club wish our Club and the players very best.

We obviously do have the potential to match any team and its time for us to get one last time into our act and clear this one last hurdle. The feeling in the squad is optimistic. The players are confident so is the manager. We may be underdogs and Barcelona may be the favorites but so was the case with us against Real Madrid and Juventus. At that time, we defied the odds and played as one strong unit. We played collectively and defended collectively. We felt confident and played with a determination. Did not lose our nerves and in the end emerged victorious. Barcelona may be the odds on favorites but that should pose a good challenge to us. If we are to win the Champions League then why not win against the best?

We have everything needed to win tonight and truly merit our position as finalists. We have players who are immensely talented, skillful and raring to go. In Wenger, there is an ambitious manager who can certainly motivate the payers to achieve this monumental victory and in Henry there is certainly an inspirational leader, a captain who leads by example. We have all the ammunition required. If we can put up a determined effort and play to our potential and get into our rhythm early on then undoubtedly we have as good a chance to grab this one as Barcelona have.

Potential, talent, form etc are the important ingredients necessary to win these epic finals but the most vital factor that determines the outcome is your thirst. You have as much big a chance of winning a final as big is your thirst to win it. If you have the thirst then you know what shall quench it.

It’s a big occasion in Arsenal’s history. You don’t land everyday in a European Cup Final. We cannot go down without giving a fight. And we trust our players to do exactly the same tonight. A fight to finish!

Whatever may be the odds and however well placed Barcelona may be than us to win this final but victory will favor the side with the bigger thirst.

Come on u Guuuunnnnnnnnnneeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssss !