Thierry Henry insists Arsenal's young guns can break Chelsea's domestic dominance if they stick together.
Chelsea are strong favorites to win a third consecutive Premiership title this season and few experts believe Arsene Wenger's side are capable of mounting a sustained challenge after a summer of changes in north London.
Sol Campbell, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires have all departed, while Ashley Cole and Jose Antonio Reyes are both unsettled and looking to join Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively.
Cole looks certain to leave after being left out of the club's official pre-season team-photo, but Arsenal captain Henry, 28, is adamant his team-mates can cope with the loss of those star players and compete for major honors, as long as they show real team spirit.
He said: "I give Chelsea their respect but we are going to try to come at them and make sure we can bring the title here. The last time we won the title was two years ago and we are going to try to find another way to bring the title back."
"At the start everyone is equal. I never start something saying we are playing for second place. If you do, you might as well stop," Henry said. "But if you do not play as a team, whoever you are and whoever you have in your squad, you wont win. People do not mention that enough about Chelsea. There is always talk about the money and players they have but they play as a team and that is why they win."
"That is what we need to do too. Everyone knows when we are in tune we pass the ball well and it is difficult to play against us. Sometimes we need to dig in and have this mentality of playing as a team," he added.
The Gunners reached the Champions League final last season after a remarkable run that included wins over Real Madrid and Juventus and a record-breaking 10 consecutive clean-sheets.
France striker Henry believes that 1-0 win at Real in the last 16 was the moment Wenger's boys became men and proved they could live with the continent's best teams.
He added: "After last season everyone knows now within themselves that they can achieve stuff. We needed a key game, and at Madrid, you saw that we were a different team after that."
"We had to dig in and then when we had the ball, we played. That team was looking for something. When we did it, we looked again like we were a team," he said. "We did not win the Champions League but you can build on that. The team has a past now, even though it was not bringing back a trophy. Some of the young players who came in, they were in an unknown position but now they know they can do a great job."
Arsenal kick off the Premiership campaign at their new ?390 million (US$740 million) Emirates Stadium on Aug. 19 against Aston Villa and Henry reckons it represents a fresh start for the team.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely