Arsenal - 4 Wigan - 2: Come what may on May 17th, Arsenal will be in the Champions League next season. Whether that is enough to secure Thierry Henry's commitment to the club will dominate fans' thoughts for the next 10 days, but those seeking signs yesterday will have felt disappointment at the sight of Henry, Ashley Cole and Robert Pires sitting together in the centre-circle long after the celebrations had ended in front of the empty stands.

"When you are the best player in the world you want to play in the best competition in the world. I want to keep everyone," was all Arsene Wenger could offer on an afternoon that ended Dennis Bergkamp's association with the club, and maybe that of Henry, Pires and Cole.

But while Arsenal fret mainly over one man's future, it was a tribute to the past that was the focus of yesterday. It was as if the heroes of Highbury's recent past were wearing the redcurrant shirts of 2006. Memories of Tony Adams, Ian Wright, Martin Keown and the late, lamented David Rocastle were evoked at ear-splitting volume.

Yet there was much more at stake here for Arsenal than giving the famous old hostess a loving send-off, and it was only when David Thompson sent a free-kick fizzing over from 20 yards that the current generation seemed to recognise it.

Cole, in his second start since October, sent a measured pass down the left wing that had Jose Antonio Reyes scampering to collect. The Spaniard dragged it back for Henry, whose shot was blocked by Paul Scharner.

Reyes's first corner was put behind by Graham Kavanagh and, as he stepped back to unleash the second, a vision of one of the gnarled old centre-halves might have been seen jogging up to the near post. Instead it was Gilberto Silva, whose flick for Pires was forced in at the second attempt by the Frenchman to open the scoring.

Arsenal's fans greeted it with cheers, but a more rapturous reception was reserved for the news that filtered through from Upton Park reporting Carl Fletcher's goal against Tottenham.

But no sooner had those cheers muted than complete silence befell Highbury.

Thompson swung in a free-kick that Gilberto left at the near post. No one was there to clear, allowing Scharner to slip in and tuck the ball into the unguarded area between Jens Lehmann and the post.

It was uncharacteristic of Lehmann, but it was not even his worst error of the half. Calculating that there was no danger from Thompson's free-kick from 40 yards out, the German did not form a wall. The space allowed the little Liverpudlian to angle his drive just inside Lehmann's disregarded right-hand post.

Lehmann was wise to it when Thompson tried the same trick two minutes from the break, but it showed that Wigan were taking the game to their hosts. After the interval there were further scares for Arsenal, with Lee McCulloch and Henri Camara going close.

It seemed at the time that this was surely not the script Arsenal had intended for their final game at Highbury, and minutes later Henry proved that it most certainly would not be. A neat through-ball from Alexander Hleb found the French striker racing clear and Arsenal were again level after a neat finish.

But nerves remained. Tottenham would equalise, necessitating a winner for Arsenal. How it came was unexpected. Nothing could explain why Thompson chose to attempt a pass back to Mike Pollitt between his defenders. It was woefully underhit, into the zone where only Henry was standing, allowing the club's record scorer to walk it round Pollitt.

The goal became the catalyst for Arsenal to shift through the gears, with Pollitt forced to save on the line from Cesc Fabregas's header before Arsenal were again given a hand by an act of self-destruction from Wigan. Andreas Johansson had been on the pitch for no more than 30 seconds when Freddie Ljungberg skipped past him into the six-yard box and was tugged back.

The penalty, coolly dispatched for Henry's hat-trick, was inevitable.

"For the history of this club and this building I am personally very happy," said Wenger, "because I would have felt guilty walking out on a low."

There is no chance of that. Wenger could even feel the hand of fate on his shoulder. "It feels like it today," he said. "It helps us go on a high to the Champions League.

Wigan defender Pascal Chimbonda, named in the PFA team of the year, has handed in a transfer request.

Guardian Service