Arsenal fans will feel sad but as a Barca fan, all I can say is Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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In Visitors, I invite one person around each month to share perspectives on a sport, a sporting event, sporting aspects or any thing in between. Ahead of the EPL season 2006-07, Ravi Gurnani joins us to give an indepth preview. If you would like to contribute for a future edition of Visitors, do not hesitate to e-mail me.

Put away those national flags for now and bring out your jerseys and scarves. For those still hungover from World Cup disappointments, worry not, football redemption is round the corner. Depending on the club you support ofcourse.

The 4 horse race I anticipated last season didn’t quite materialise. However it should be much closer this time round.

Chelsea

Beginning with the champions, Chelsea. Michael Ballack, Andrei Shevchenko and Ashley Cole, probably in the waiting. That is some quality. However, all the money in the world has not bought happiness at Chelsea. Witness Jose Mourinho’s continuous whining and William Gallas’ revolt. Out went Asier Del Horno, Damien Duff and Hernan Crespo. 2 league titles after, the holy grail for Abramovich is the Champions League. So I wouldn’t be surprised with a slip up or two in the process. Shevchenko’s goal in the Charity Shield last week should assure them of some clinical finishing upfront, something that they lacked last season. Also watch for some unhappy faces on the bench as a result of an overcrowded central midfield.

Manchester United

Let me make it clear that my support lies with Manchester United. Not the best of times for a club perpetually in transition since the glory days of 1999. Forget the new Roy Keane, we haven’t seen the new Nicky Butt yet! Michael Carrick’s signing should allay fears about the lack of quality in the midfield. Look beyond and the options are thin. Marcos Senna or Owen Hargreaves should add depth in the middle that they seriously lacked last season. van Nistelrooy’s departure will be a blow. Nobody has crossed Ferguson and survived at Old Trafford. Ideally another striker and midfielder would complete the jigsaw for United. Also the much hyped Rooney Ronaldo spat hasn’t materialised. Good riddance to that!

Arsenal

Emirates FC… err sorry Arsenal FC. The new stadium will give them the much needed financial boost. Their young squad continues to develop in the absence of veterans Patrick Vieira and now Sol Campbell under Thiery Henry’s leadership. Tomasz Rosicky is one of the players to watch for this season. If the WC was an indicator, he should ease the loss of Robert Pires. A striker to support Henry and defender at the back would complete the picture for them. Also the sooner A Cole and Spanish misfit Jose Reyes decide their futures the better for them. A title might be a season or two too soon for them.

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No ESPN in Varanasi, where I was yesterday, meant I missed the game I was waiting for from forever. I had to contend with updates on BBC and instant messages from Dhoomk2 (thank you for that). Doesn’t matter. Two late goals means Barca are the 2005-06 Champions League Champions.

It is a trophy which is well deserved. I will not add much more. What a champion team. It has been an absolute privelege to be a fan of the team and follow it in the last 2-3 years.

It is here then! The match which promises so much. The match every one - particularly the Barcelona and Arsenal fans have been waiting for.

Arsenal, in their best years in the recent past (a couple of years ago when they were winning domestic titles) were performing very miserably in Europe. It was a very good team but critics said that it could not be termed great until it won the big ones in Europe. This, the performance so far, is probably a couple of years late. It was totally unexpected that Arsenal would reach the Champions League final in the year it almost finished 5th in the English Premiership - some thing which exemplifies how it has been a crazy ride of emotions for Arsenal fans. The ride isn’t over. There is still pondering regarding Henry going to Barcelona (some thing I, as a Barcelona fan am very much over excited about). Regardless of that, the season could be perfect for Arsenal if they do manage to win the Champions League.

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93 years of memory come back this weekend as Arsenal bid adieu to Highbury. The last game will be played versus Wigan Athletic this Sunday on what promises to be an emotional good bye to the stadium for Arsenal fans. No more will they play in the stadium which has seen some of the finest glory moments in Arsenal football history.

For me, as a comparatively recent football fan, the joy of Thierry Henry scoring a goal and the cheers have been synonymous with Highbury. Where will fans cheer Henry next season? Nou Camp or Emirates Stadium? That question can be answered post-Paris and post the Champions League final. I doubt if fans any where will love him as much or cheer for him as loudly as those at Highbury did.

Below are some tributes and memories:

• Times - Lazy Summer Afternoons.
• BBC Photo Tribute.
• Alan Smith at UK Telegraph.
• Islington Gazette.
• Arsenal.com.
• El Cid’s memories.
• Notes from an Angry Island.
• Nirav Mehta.
• Arogorn.
• Singapore Gooner.
• Jakarta Casual.
• Some times fairy tales happen.
• Perfect final day.

Do put in your Highbury memories and links to other pieces and blog entries on Highbury which you find worth mentioning.

Blog FC asks:

Has success in Europe become too important, coming as it seems to at the cost of league respectability?

I don’t think league respectability is lost. It is very prestigious to win the English Premiership as is most domestic league titles. However, a team can face a situation where it secures a champions league spot or nearly secures it. However, the league champions are way ahead like a Barcelona in Spain. In this scenario, a team can find itself concentrating more on Europe. Often players are rested before a big European tie as well when domestic stakes are not that high. A perfectly understandable scenario.

Some thing like Mr. Wenger did a few days ago versus the Spurs does not come under this though. For why should he have not played his best players right from the start in such a crucial tie? And then he had the teremity to say “Every thing went against us.”

The second question Blog FC asks:

And given Liverpool’s dismal defense of its European title, should winning the title be reason enough for a club to be invited back, even if it doesn’t otherwise qualify for the event?

Definitely not. The Champions League spot has to be earned. The only way to earn them should be by performing within the given norms. System should not be changed for a huge variation in performance between league and Europe. If Spurs are ahead of Arsenal in the domestic league, they have earned their spot.

This debate is likely to heat up this year too, like last year ahead of the Champions League finals. My stand is firm on the issue.

Barca overcame the Champions of England. They overcame the tough challenge of Benfica. They have now overcome the soon to be crowned Italian Champions.

The game saw a lot of chances in the first half, specially early. Eto’o got two easy chances and Shevchenko got a fairly easy chance as well. On another day, versus another opposition, Barcelona or Milan could easily have been 2-0 up going into the second half. However, this was not just another game. Even the seasoned professionals showed that after all they are pretty much human.

Barca dominated possession in both halfs, as usual. As the clock ticked, Milan’s frustration to score at least one goal grew. Time ran out on Milan in the end. The neutrals watching may have found the second half a bit boring. Make no mistake though, that we, the Barca fans, were getting delirious with each moment. Could an Inzhaghi like heartbreak occur? Not this time.

We are into the Champions League finals!!! It looks like the best team will, indeed, win the Champions League for once, for a change as we kick some Arse! It does setup an intriguing final. Can the Barcelona attack penetrate the strong Arsenal defense? How will Barcelona restrict Henry and the chances they do give oppositions at times? For Henry is one player who would take the chances which come his way.

A lot will be at stake for Arsenal. Barcelona cannot afford to let the Champions League away this time. It would be the first step towards greatness for Barca. All of England, Spain, the multitudes of Barcelona and Arsenal fans and the rest of the world will have their eyes set in Paris in 20 days. It is going to be one hell of a party.

You haven’t won the Champions League. Hell, I want you to fail miserably against Barcelona of course. A lot of work needs to be done still.

Today though, you can rejoice. It has been a miserable season so far and you deserve all the happiness. Jenns Lehmann - what a hero!

Update: Can Arsenal be kings of Europe? Sky asks and fans answer.

Arsenal being the only English club left in the Champions League, almost every one in England is hoping for an Arsenal victory. Check out what the papers say here. One person who has more at stake than your normal fan is an anonymous Arsenal Fan. Reports The Sun:

AN ARSENAL fan splashed out £204,000 yesterday on the biggest-ever bet on the Champions League.

Immense faith in Arsenal and Thierry Henry at the face of the unpredictability of football? Speaking of Henry, he seems peeved at the numerous and repeated questions regarding his future. Henry says he needs more time. Why should tabloids question the loyalty of Henry, a passionate Arsenal player if ever there was one, if he wants to assess the situation he has on hand before making a decision?

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Barcelona has seen through the possible Benfica scare winning the second leg 2-0. Not until the injury period goal by Eto’o, though, were Barca completely safe as Benfica could always have scored another one to enforce extra time and penalties. Too bad I sacrificed watching the game as I had work to attend to.

None of remaining Barca games in the Champions League will be missed be me. :) Arsenal too have qualified for the semis holding out in the second leg and thus upsetting Juventus. The semi final line up reads:

• Barcelona vs AC Milan
• Arsenal vs Villareal

Will it be a memorable Champions League for Barca? I am certainly backing Barcelona to go all the way. Go Barca!