Uefa Champions League Final: If this really was Thierry Henry's last appearance in an Arsenal shirt, it could hardly have been a more dramatic one.
When he accepted Emmanuel Eboue's pass after two and half minutes of last night's match, Arsenal's captain and talisman seemed odds-on to give his side the early lead that would have provided a wonderful start to the club's first appearance in a European Cup final. But his point-blank shot flew away to safety off the legs of Victor Valdes, and 20 minutes later, with his side reduced to 10 men by the expulsion of Jens Lehmann, Henry found himself calming down Eboue after the young Ivorian had received a caution for stabbing a boot into the upper thigh of Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
At that point it was hard to imagine how Arsenal could survive the assault of a full-strength Barcelona. Henry, however, rose to the occasion. A further quarter of an hour later he was stroking over the free kick that Eboue had won, very luckily, just outside the Barcelona penalty area, and watching as Sol Campbell rose as he must have done 1,000 times in training sessions at London Colney to head the London club into an unexpected lead.
The advantage flattered Arsenal, since the referee, Terje Hauge, could well have allowed Barcelona to take the lead instead when Ludovic Giuly hammered the ball home after Lehmann had brought down Samuel Eto'o. Instead he sent off the goalkeeper and gave the free kick, which Ronaldinho failed to convert. Arsenal's rearranged formation took a while to settle into shape, but now Henry had the chance to show that leadership, as well as technical brilliance, is among his qualities.
His second miss 25 minutes into the second half will long live in his memory. If it had gone in Arsenal would almost certainly have been crowned champions of Europe. Two late Barcelona strikes were particularly cruel to such a genius. The Frenchman has plenty to ponder over the summer months.
Before the kick-off, we were reminded that this was the 50th anniversary of a competition which has provided more historic nights of football than any other. It was invented by the French, the first final was played in Paris, and it was fitting that last night's teams should both feature Frenchmen in their ranks, with Henry the most prominent. How he will be mourned, whenever he chooses to leave. And not just by the fans of the Highbury club, either. Over the past seven years Henry, who arrived in London speaking barely a word of the language of his new home, has set an example of grace, class and intelligence to English football. His impish shrugs and wry smile will be greatly missed, not least by those who used his natural charm to sell their products. Henry's appeal reached far beyond the confines of football, and he did it without straining to project himself.
When asked in recent weeks about his intentions, he has been as inscrutable as the Mona Lisa. After giving seven years to Arsenal, he would receive little or no criticism for taking the decision to spend the next two or three years with his young family in a different environment. He would take with him the medals for victory in two Premiership campaigns, two FA Cups and two Community Shields.
