Arsenal honoured their past on Wednesday night, safe in the knowledge that the present, and by extension, the future, is sufficiently enticing that they won't be distracted by nostalgia.
As the final whistle blew in their 3-0 win, confirming Villarreal's elimination from the Champions League, it was fitting that the ball was at the feet of Robert Pires. His six years of service had already been acknowledged in the generous applause before kick-off and in the choruses of his name as the game entered stoppage time.
At 35, it was probably a valedictory appearance against Arsenal for the Frenchman. Substituted 18 minutes into his final game for the Gunners, the 2006 Champions League final, it belatedly amounted to a proper farewell. Yet in the process, suggestions that Arsene Wenger should have retained his compatriot were emphatically rebuffed.
Pires was thoroughly upstaged by Theo Walcott, a decade and a half his junior and a player whose emergence was aided by the elder man's exit. There were hints of Pires in Walcott's 10th-minute goal, nonchalantly clipped over the Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez. Wenger commented: "We know that he can finish but he transfers that into games now. That means his confidence has gone up now."
The 20-year-old winger may have come of age at the equivalent stage of last season's Champions League, when an 80-metre run preceded Emmanuel Adebayor's goal at Anfield, but this represented another advance. Walcott was the catalyst, his scorching speed epitomising a younger, quicker side who were too quick for their more aged opponents. He set the tone, tormenting one of Europe's most accomplished left-backs, the Spain international Joan Capdevila, and his acceleration was instrumental.
Wenger added: "We were up against a very good technical team. When we won the ball our pace and speed made a big impact. That was the difference between the two teams."
It represented a vindication for Wenger, whose faith in youth has been unquestioning. Yet although Alexandre Song, who has recently turned 22, was the oldest of the midfield quartet, inexperience was not an issue. Freshness was, however, and Walcott, Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas are all benefiting from the unwanted mid-season breaks enforced by injuries.
The Togolese has four goals in as many games since his return and Wenger has options. "Offensively, we can rotate," he said. "Defensively, we are short." That is true, with Kolo Toure the sole member of the first-choice back five available and a new-look rearguard's clean sheet among the achievements of the night.
Arsenal's pairing with Manchester United in the semi-finals has not deflated them, with Toure remaining fearless. He said: "I think we are not favourites as United are the champions. However, they know we can beat them, so we are looking forward to it. Bring them on."
rjolly@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WITHIN%20SAND
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0
De Bruyne (70')
Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
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Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
