No time for nostalgia as Arsenal eye final place

Arsenal will play their last European match at Highbury today with all eyes firmly fixed on the future rather than looking back wistfully at the past.

Arsene Wenger's men take on Villarreal of Spain in a first Champions League semi-final appearance for both clubs, with a place in the final in Paris on May 17 against Milan or Barcelona the tantalising prize for the winners.

Arsenal start as favourites after reserving their best performances this season for the Champions League.

The Londoners defeated Real Madrid and Juventus in the previous two rounds, establishing a competition record of eight successive games without conceding a goal.

Wenger knows that record will come under the severest test from Villarreal, who have done well against English clubs this season, beating Everton in the qualifying round last August and drawing 0-0 home and away with Manchester United in the group stages.

The two teams have been hit by injuries and suspensions. Wenger is hoping 18-year-old Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas recovers from a foot injury for tonight's first leg so that he can unleash the sort of damage he inflicted in the home leg of the quarter-final against Juventus last month when he scored in a 2-0 win.

Arsenal will be without defender Sol Campbell, who is recovering from surgery on a broken nose, and banned Spain forward Jose Antonio Reyes.

Villarreal hit

Villarreal arrive at Highbury without Argentina centre-back Gonzalo Rodriguez, who will miss the World Cup after tearing ligaments in his left ankle in Friday's 1-0 defeat at Barcelona.

Juan Manuel Pena, a Bolivian international who has been Rodriguez's regular partner in central defence, is missing after straining knee ligaments against Barca. He is also a doubt for next week's second leg in Spain.

Villarreal goalkeeper Sebastian Viera is sidelined due to suspension.

While Arsenal had to battle to overcome struggling West Bromwich Albion 3-1 on Saturday with a full-strength side, Villarreal fielded a virtual shadow team against fellow Champions League semi-finalists Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Friday.

Coach Manuel Pellegrini left playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, leading striker Diego Forlan and influential midfielders Juan Pablo Sorin and Alessio Tacchinardi out of the squad and kept several other first-choice players on the bench.

Defeat at the Nou Camp means Villarreal have won only once in seven games and their best chance of playing in next season's Champions League now lies in winning the competition.

That probably applies to Arsenal too, although the Gunners believe they can still finish as high as fourth in the Premier League and at worst go through to the qualifying stages.

Probable teams:

Arsenal: Lehmann; Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Flamini; Ljungberg, Hleb, Gilberto, Fabregas, Pires; Henry.

Villarreal: Barbosa; Venta, Arzo, Alvarez, Arruabarrena; Sorin, Senna, Tacchinardi, Riquelme; Jose Mari, Forlan.

Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria).

Statistics before today's semi-final, first leg match...

¤ Arsenal vs Villarreal - no previous meetings

¤ Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in nine of their last 13 Champions League home games

¤ Arsenal could extend their Champions League record of eight consecutive clean sheets. They have not let in a goal in the competition since Markus Rosenberg scored for Ajax in Arsenal's 2-1 win in Amsterdam on Sept. 27 last year

¤ Arsenal, playing in their first European Cup or Champions League semi-final, have reached five European finals in the past - three in the Cup Winners Cup and two in the UEFA Cup

¤ Villarreal, playing in the Champions League for the first time, have lost only one of their last 12 European away games, winning three and drawing eight

¤ Villarreal are visiting British shores for the fourth time this season. They beat Everton 2-1 in the qualifying round, drew 0-0 with Manchester United in the group stage and 2-2 with Rangers in the first knockout round

¤ Villarreal are unbeaten in nine matches against British clubs in the three seasons they have been playing in European competition