The Guardian says it said much that the two players who ended up turning this tie, Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel, had both come close to moving to north London.

The Spaniard, thought Wenger, was over-priced and ended up on Merseyside in a deal worth £26.5m for Atletico Madrid. Interest in Babel was more tenuous, but real nevertheless. The former Ajax player opted for Anfield as well.