Henry says Vieira best midfielder in the world
Vieira has guided Arsenal to victory against Everton and Chelsea within the space of just over two days despite being afflicted by exhaustion and a knee injury, leaving him to proclaim the Gunners as “still the side to beat.”
Indeed, such has been his recent impact that he was named man of the match on both occasions as Arsenal revived their season after back-to-back defeats by Blackburn and Valencia.
Henry declared: “Patrick has just been amazing. To play on Sunday as he did and then to play again like this against Chelsea just 48 hours later shows what an incredible player he is.
“If you’d seen his face after the Everton game, you’d have realised just how exhausted he was, especially considering he has a knee problem.
“But he has incredible power and mental strength and he showed that. It is almost unbelievable what he does.
“He may feel that some people have doubted whether he was the right person to be Arsenal skipper but we have no doubts. He’s already a legend at the club and, in every game he plays, he writes another page of that storybook. I’m just proud to be playing alongside him. He’s possibly the best midfielder in the world right now, certainly the best defensive midfielder in the world. Henry believes Vieira exemplifies the mental resolve among the Arsenal squad not to allow their season to slip away as they secured their place in the FA Cup semi-finals against Sheffield United.
“We wanted to show our commitment and spirit in the side,” he said. “But it’s not that difficult when you have a player standing next to you like Patrick.”
Explained Vieira: “I like being captain but it’s an easy job, considering the people I have around me.
“I’m not the same type of captain as Tony Adams. He would talk a lot and shout a lot and get people going.
“I’m not shy but I am quieter. I just show people what I want by playing on the pitch. Sometimes a great tackle can mean more than shouting at players.” With Arsenal facing an FA Cup semi-final on April 13, followed by a vital Premiership game against Manchester United three days later, Vieira is delighted that they have responded to their defeat in Valencia with so much character.
* Chelsea have called on fan power to unearth the thug who struck Henry with an object thrown from the crowd at Stamford Bridge.
Henry was left with a cut above his left eye after he was hit by what was thought to be a cigarette lighter as he celebrated Lauren’s clincher in Arsenal’s 3-1 FA Cup win.
“The club stress they will not tolerate such behaviour from either their own fans or those of visiting clubs,” said a statement issued on behalf of Chelsea today.
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