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p16
• Have we already seen Highbury's goal of the season? It looks like it after
Thierry Henry's corker that sank Manchester United, a result greeted joyfully up and down
the country. Henry had scored a somewhat similar goal against Charlton. That was obviously
just a warm up. No back line or goalkeeper in the world could have defended against it. As
Sir Alex Ferguson said: 'It took your breath away. You can't legislate for something like
that.'
• The way the teams approached their preceding Champions League games presented a
stark contrast. Ferguson was more bothered about playing Arsenal in the next match than
PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. Knowing United were already in a strong position,
he seemed almost prepared to lose in Eindhoven, resting David Beckham, Andy Cole and Ryan
Giggs ahead of the Highbury clash. Says a lot about his respect for Arsene Wenger's
Gunners -who meanwhile put in a supercharged display to beat Lazio.
• Youngster to watch: 17-year-old left winger Jerome Thomas. The Brent-born teenager
is the hot property of Arsenal's under-19s. Thomas, who joined Arsenal from Luton, was
originally an attacking midfield player. Chief youth coach Don Howe saw another role for
Jerome and switched him to the left. Howe also encouraged Thomas to cut in on to his right
foot and strike for goal. When he's in full flow, Thomas takes some stopping - a John
Barnes-style dribbler with a repertoire of tricks: and he can perform them all at pace.
• Arsenal's Olympic gold medallist Lauren met up with an old friend in that thrilling
Olympic final - Spain striker Jose Mari. Lauren, whose family moved from Cameroon to Spain
when he was very young, grew up in the same Two Sisters district of Seville as the Milan
forward and they took their first steps in the pro game together, with local club Sevilla.
Lauren said: 'I feel Spanish most of the time - except when they play Cameroon.'
• All is not well at Barcelona for former Highbury heroes Manu Petit and Mare
Overmars. Catalonia's team have been on the crest of a slump recently, with four
successive defeats. Petit, who missed three of those games with gastric trouble, accused
his colleagues of 'lacking balls' and said they were in for a stormy season, unless they
tightened up in defence and started to fight in midfield. Overmars, filling the gap left
by £37million man Luis Figo, has been heavily criticised by the Catalan sports press
after an inconsistent start.
• Speaking of Figo, Real Madrid coach Vicente Del Bosque was recently asked the
difference between the Portugal star and the European champions last mega-bucks signing,
ex-Gunner Nicolas Anelka. Del Bosque replied: 'Figo is a model professional. Anelka is an
egomaniac.'
• Meanwhile, moves towards the planned new stadium at Ashburton Grove continued when
Arsenal submitted a 95-page Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report (who makes up
these names?) to Islington Council last month. The council must decide whether the report
contains all the information it needs, ahead of Arsenal's formal planning application.
• PS: What will Arsenal tube station be called if the ground is relocated?
N16 Crossword
by GAP
 The 14
solutions to the italicised clues are characters in a literary work. The work in question
is alluded to in the clue for that character. Together, the 14 works form a complete set
and the heading should assist.
ACROSS
1 Season handle and cut excessively decorative instrument (8)
5 A couple of chaps from near Lake Garda sail around with 6 on board (6)
10 Ornamental glass in which the French eat sliced quail (7)
11 Tabular figure 1 record against worker (7)
12 6, with an arrangement of fruit (9)
13 Bringing back offside game included hard work (5)
14 Sum of money to keep one above water? (5)
15 Included with paper for moving resident
(8)
18 ... one just arriving makes men cower (8)
21 One has forgotten previous problems and accepts first-class return
(5)
24 Are they shown to rising beginners? (5)
25 Stomach composed of several layers (9)
26 Finds calm in a retreat - a Mosque tower? (7)
27 Assent withdrawn by gents is a storm in a teacup (3,4)
28 Honour Pickering, on the evening of 24th June, describing high
quality mile race (6)
29 Thrive, overcoming initial storm following article (8)
DOWN
1 River employees' spouses in town on the Thames are happy (8)
2 Holiday destination with which solver is delighted (7)
3 Late examination in pursuit (7)
4 Reclusive behaviour by miser; time is running out (9)
6 Don't start greeting - wrong number (7)
7 Scavenger, half-common and true to form (7)
8 Backer starts ordering metric changes (6)
9 Take over domestication of small animal (4)
16 Performer may render sea-shanty (9)
17 Dealer handling type of glass container found on an orbiting body (8)
19 Outgoing former partner writes with energy (7)
20 Raise problem, with firm limits, on 6th January (7)
21 Flea found in hips and bananas (7)
22 Promotion model 1 accepted, although fatty (7)
23 Memory 1 introduced into party featuring some outrageous slips (6)
25 Flyer likes success for the Tories (4)
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