Arsenal may hold winning hand as Valencia 'lose joker'

They were talking cards – not playing them, given the dim view of the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, on gambling matters – after the Gunners' intriguing, goalless draw at the Amsterdam ArenA on Wednesday.

Thierry Henry affirmed the belief, which was quickly spreading through his team-mates, that Valencia had "lost their joker" by surprisingly succumbing at home. De Telegraaf, the Dutch daily newspaper, continued the theme, putting to bed its analysis claiming that Ronald Koeman, Ajax's head coach, "still holds all the cards".

The Dutchman certainly trumped Wenger tactically on the night, but it appears that both men are now holding a potentially winning hand.

Roma's victory has to a certain extent complicated matters as it means that another chair has been pulled up to the table for the end game of the tightest of the four Champions' League groups. But if Arsenal prevail against Roma at Highbury a week on Tuesday and Ajax triumph at home to Valencia, then both are through to the last eight.

Certainly, Wenger believes nine points is now enough and Henry, praised for his "dangerous speed and skills" by Koeman after the match, concurred.

"Obviously I am confident we can still go through. Otherwise, you might as well stop. We are in a good position and we play at home in two weeks' time. There is not a better opportunity than that."

Much will depend on the striker whose six goals in the competition have all come away from home – including a wondrous hat-trick in Rome. He had few chances on Wednesday, so well was the Ajax defence marshalled by their young captain, Cristian Chivu, who forced Henry into channels heading away from goal.

"It seems like all the time when we play teams, they don't want to get caught by us so Ajax didn't give us too much room," Henry said.

True. But it is the essence of success in European football that such barriers are breached, if only occasionally.

It took Koeman just 20 minutes of watching Arsenal demolish a Manchester City side who tried to attack them to know that such a tactic would be sporting suicide.

"We know have a better head-to-head record against Arsenal which is an advantage," Koeman said afterwards, recalling Nigel de Jong's goal in London. His side may be young, but they are not naïve. Giovanni van Bronckhorst – a second-half substitute who was booed because of his time with Ajax's rivals Feyenoord – said: "I think we are the better team overall but tactically Ajax did well. It is not their usual style – they can play like us. But they knew that if they played like that it would give us more space to play our football."

Which prompts the question – one addressed by Sir Alex Ferguson several years ago – surely the onus was then on Arsenal to vary their play?

What they will certainly need to do – just three days after the FA Cup quarter-final with Chelsea – is transform their Highbury form in this competition. But Roma's win has rekindled their interest and means that they need to come out and attack.

Arsenal will have to do it without Ashley Cole, who had a hernia operation yesterday and will be out for several weeks. The full-back may also miss England's next two qualification games for Euro 2004.

* The Arsenal striker Dennis Bergkamp has been charged with improper conduct over an incident involving Lee Bowyer in the game against West Ham at Highbury on 19 January.