Bergkamp makes a compelling case

14 April 2012

Just 24 hours after Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United party trudged round for a 'lap of honour' in a near-empty shell of a stadium, Highbury celebrated Arsenal's final home game of the season in vibrant fashion.

United's humbling seemed to offer no hope for next season, but Arsenal fans were buzzing after seeing seven hammered past Everton.

David Moyes summed up his hurt inside 55 seconds. He said: "I am embarrassed as a manager after that. I am not criticising the players and this has been a great week for the club. But I am embarrassed. That is all I have to say.".

He exited with an urgency sadly lacking from his team who looked anything but Champions League material on this evidence.

Enter Arsene Wenger. He doesn't do smug but there was clearly a deep sense of satisfaction from the style of his team and optimism at the timely return of Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry ahead of the FA Cup Final with United on Saturday week.

This has been a testing season for Wenger but he has made sure nobody drifts into a comfort zone. Campbell will verify that. He has been fit for three weeks but has been left sweating before he was able to reclaim the place many believed was his by right.

And while the contract talks with Ashley Cole may yet reach a successful conclusion, they have stalled since the "tapping" allegations came to light. Wenger has occasionally selected promising French Under-21 defender Gael Clichy as a little reminder to Cole that reinforcements are in place if he were to leave.

Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann admitted he was less than impressed to be dropped for 11 matches in mid-season and yet on his return conceded: " Perhaps the manager was right. Maybe I was not sharp enough." He is sharp enough now as a series of excellent stops proved last night - including a stunning stop from Everton's abrasive substitute Duncan Ferguson.

Wenger's latest issue is with Dennis Bergkamp, who turned 36 this week and has completed nearly 10 years at the club. The Dutchman's revealed in yesterday's Standard Sport that he has become frustrated by the delay in sorting out a new deal.

After scoring one goal and setting up three others - and with the crowd chanting "one more year" - Wenger was asked if Bergkamp would be staying. "If it was a referendum, yes!" he joked.

"I have to make my mind clear. I can understand the fans, he is highly loved here and he deserves that. But I have to make the right decisions and stand up for my decisions in front of the fans ... but the decision will be made early."

Wenger added that it is impossible to "base a season" on a 36-year-old's inspiration. Everton, however, would be glad to see the back of him. In the moment of euphoria after fourth place had been clinched - thanks, coincidentally, to Liverpool's defeat at Arsenal on Sunday - Moyes responded to a question about his projected line-up for last night by saying: "Anyone who is still sober".

Those without a hangover certainly had one at the end after Bergkamp had done his destructive best. He set up Robin van Persie for the first goal, played a huge part in the second from Robert Pires and threaded through a dream of a ball for Patrick Vieira to score the third.

Any relief Everton felt at the substitution of Vieira quickly evaporated when the number 14 went up on the fourth official's board. Enter Henry and more mayhem followed by further goals from Pires, Edu - given an emotional farewell on his Highbury swansong by taking a penalty - Bergkamp and Mathieu Flamini.

It made for great viewing but hopefully Alex Ferguson wasn't watching on pay-per-view to get over his bashing from Mourinho. It would have been scary stuff for him.

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