Arsenal's Thierry Henry holds aloft the Baclays Premier League Golden Boot trophy as this season's top goal scorer during farewell celebrations at Highbury yesterday. - REUTERS
LONDON (Reuters):
THIERRY HENRY scored an emotional hat-trick as Arsenal said farewell to Highbury with a 4-2 win over Wigan Athletic to earn a place in the Champions League qualifying round on a dramatic last day of the Premier League yesterday.
The win enabled the Champions League finalists to finish fourth and heralded an all-night party at the ground they are leaving after 93 years.
The victory lifted them above north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who lost 2-1 at West Ham United after a food poisoning episode in the Spurs camp.
Manchester United made sure of second place and automatic entry to the Champions League with a 4-0 home thrashing of Charlton Athletic, leaving them a point clear of Liverpool, whose 3-1 victory at Portsmouth was in vain.
Champions Chelsea signed off with a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
With the title, UEFA Cup and relegation places already decided, the day began with only two issues at stake - the battles for second and fourth place.
Arsenal made the first move in the eighth minute with a close-range Robert Pires effort.
BIZARRE GOAL
Wigan equalised two minutes later through Paul Scharner and took a 33rd-minute lead with a bizarre goal when David Thompson caught out goalkeeper Jens Lehmann with a 35 metres near-post free-kick.
Arsenal hit back within two minutes as Henry sprung the offside trap to score and the captain was gifted a second by an awful Thompson back pass.
It was fate that Henry would sign off with a hat-trick and he duly did so from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after Andreas Johansson had hauled down Freddie Ljungberg - neither of whom had touched the ball after coming on together as substitutes moments earlier. Johansson was sent off for his brief contribution.
The win secured Arsenal's worst finish for 10 years - but enough to send them into the May 17 Champions League final against Barcelona in high spirits.
It also completed a black day for Spurs which had begun badly when a food poisoning outbreak laid most of their squad low and threatened their match at Upton Park.
The Premier League insisted the game went ahead and Martin Jol was able to field a full-strength team.
