By Myles Palmer

So where are we now ?

Arsenal's new year started when Mike Riley sent off that Charlton defender after 20 minutes.

The red card ended the game and started the year.

Robin van Persie went for a rebound off the keeper and Charlton right back Osei Sankofa brought him down and Riley gave a penalty and a red card.

So the contest was over after 30. Arsenal would have won against eleven men, let alone ten. But I'll never agree with that rule. Even if Thierry Henry had missed the penalty, Arsenal would have beaten ten men.

Henry started his long run up from outside the D and he ran straight and fast at the ball and sent the Scott Carson the wrong way and slotted it with a swift low shot. He scored with huge confidence and panache, as he does when he is feeling good and playing well.

Hoyte made it 2-0 after a one -two with Henry. When Diawara brought down Henry, van Persie slotted the penalty for 3-0, and then van Persie chipped Scott Carson for 4-0.

HENRY seemed to be a completely different player. He looked fit, he looked happy, he looked relaxed, he looked on top of it.

He started a bit gingerly but worked his way into the game. We saw the touches that we haven't seen, the one-twos. He looked like a man who'd had a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He looked leaner, stronger, happier. He looked like the player he was a year ago.

Arsenal could have beaten Charlton 10-0 and one day they will win a home game 10-0.

Where 2007 will take Arsenal, we don't know.

Where 2007 will take Thierry Henry, we don't know.

Where Thierry Henry will take Arsenal in 2007, we don't know.

But he hasn't won anything as Arsenal captain and he would love to win a trophy as captain

What else do we know? Well, we know that 2006 was a bad year for Thierry Henry because he lost two finals. And we know that the best of Henry is very good.

And there is only one other thing that we know for sure. It#s this : Thierry Henry signed a new four-year contract with AFC in summer 2006.

He is 29 and 2007 and 2008 and 2009 and 2010 will be big years for him. They will be the final years of his career, probably.

AS 2007 starts he has been out for eight games and we all want to see what he can do in the next eight games, even though we know it is a team game, and the team needs to stabilise in defence and compete up North.

Recently I said I hoped Henry would come back with a different head on. And I'm a bit ambivalent about my comment.

On the one hand, Henry is an intelligent guy who has had four weeks to think about the next four months. And he's also had four weeks to think about the next four years. He says his sciatica is fine now.

On the other hand, I could be kidding myself, thinking that he could change his ways at the age of 29.

But,amazingly,Henry himself has said that he now has "a different perspective."

BLOODY HELL!

Maybe he has seen the light !

Or maybe, like Arsene, his mentor, he's a natural spin-doctor.

Both AW and TH14 know how to feed the voracious news machine.

Let's face it, rolling "news" is often just rolling quotes.

ON SATURDAY, Liverpool play Arsenal in the FA Cup Third Round.

Liverpool are very strong at home right now. Their defence has been very good in most games and they have started to score in every game they play.

When you play Everton, the sign above the tunnel says WELCOME TO GOODISON.

When you play Liverpool, the sign says THIS IS ANFIELD.

If Arsenal beat Liverpool they will be making a mockery of that sign, which once intimidated visitors. As did the roar of the mighty Kop.

Can Arsenal play up North?

Well, they won 1-0 at Old Trafford in September. And Thierry Henry didn't play in that game.

Over to you, Thierry....

Home | Previous News'99 | Features | Comment | Interact | Search | Links | Subscribe