Wenger: Part of me will stay at Highbury

Arsene Wenger believes he will leave a little bit of his soul behind at Highbury as he prepares for Arsenal’s last great European night at the famous old ground.

The Gunners face Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tomorrow night and Wenger wants to give the stadium and the club’s fans a European send-off to remember.

Highbury has been the club’s home for 93 years and has staged 22 seasons of European football.

But they move to their new Ashburton Grove home from the start of next season and Wenger is planning for an emotional send off against the Spaniards.

The Frenchman said: “It is getting close to the end and every time I walk in there I feel of course that the are not many more matches to come.

“I feel part of my soul is in the stadium because many of the biggest moments of my sports career have been there.

“It will something special because his stadium has a special soul and to lose it one day will be sad.

“But I think it will help tomorrow because it is a special occasion for us and we want to be proud of that.

“We want this game to be remembered as the last European night for the club at Highbury.”

Arsenal have conceded just two goals in the competition and none in the last eight games as they set a new record of clean sheets for the competition.

Villarreal are seen as something of a surprise package but Wenger knows they have one player capable of ruining their special night and preventing them taking a lead back to Spain for the return leg.

Juan Roman Riquelme is the playmaker who could wreck Wenger’s plans but the Arsenal coach has no plans to give him any special attention.

Wenger explained: “We will not man mark Riquelme.

“He is such a strong personality that you wonder how he left Barcelona because they would have been stronger with him.

“But Villarreal made a good catch and one of the keys of the game will be for us to keep him quiet.

"But we will not man-mark him.

“The distribution comes from Riquelme and that is where they are dangerous - mainly for his delivery. He is the leading figure in the team.

“It is a little bit like European football against South American football.

“It makes it always very difficult for the Europeans to beat a South American side because they put you at a pace they dictate and therefore they find a moment they choose to kill you off softly.

“That is one of the keys of the game because we play a game based on pace and we want a high pace tomorrow.

“I expect to face a very strong team but I must say as well I am fully confident in the quality, the character and the desire of my team.

“I am confident in the togetherness that is in the camp to go through now.”

But Wenger does not know whether winning the competition will help Thierry Henry make up his mind to stay.

The French striker has one more year left to run on his contract but so far he has resisted all the offers to commit himself to the club on a long-term basis.

Wenger added: “The best way to keep your best players is always to win – but it is not enough.

"There is more in it than that.

“When you commit yourself to a club for a long period it is not just about winning.

“It is because you share the right values with the club and you play the kind of football you love to play. I like to think that is a better reason to stay here.”