Thierry Henry’s departure might spell the end of Arsene’s Wenger’s title hopes, while the arrival of Fernando Torres has raised hopes on Merseyside. Henry’s £16m  move to Barcelona has much more serious implications than first meets the eye.

For one, it means that the Gunners' light is definitely on the fade. David Dein’s departure looks to have unsettled Henry, and Wenger, who built the Arsenal cannon that shot its way to the top of English football together with Dein, will no doubt realise the importance of the man whose magic touch brought the fans joy over the eight years he spent with the club.

Cesc Fabergas, the midfield maestro who flourished playing together with Henry, has already expressed his anxiety over the loss of the French striker. Henry was the face of Arsenal football; now they face a dark and lonely future if Wenger, too, jumps ship.

'Liverpool supporters will have to wait to see how quickly Torres adapts to the Premiership, but it is by far the most exciting signing for the Reds'


Now on to Liverpool, and the transfer of Fernando Torres. This is by far the most positive news to come out of Merseyside in weeks, and, it looks like Rafael Benitez has finally been given the go-ahead to jump into the transfer market. Here are the reasons why it's a great purchase:

Torres is exactly the big-name signing Liverpool fans have been craving for.

Liverpool have been struggling to find a clinical finisher, and broke their previous record of £14m for all-promise, no-deliverance Djibril Cisse, brought in by Gerrard Houllier. Liverpool supporters will have to wait to see how quickly Torres adapts to the Premiership, but it is by far the most exciting signing for the Reds and former Anfield legends have been commenting on how Torres could be the missing link - clinical striker.

Luis Garcia, seen by most fans as the sacrificial lamb for the capture of Torres, will forever remain a part of Liverpool history, scoring his most crucial goals to ensure the club's historic journeys to the Champions League Final in 2005 and the FA Cup Final in 2006. Go well, Garcia, you will always be appreciated for your efforts and moments of brilliance.

The arrival of Torres will propel other stars like Steven Gerrard to show their worth, and we could see a return to the days of incredible 25-yard strikes, and amazing through balls. Xabi Alonso will most surely follow suit, with the central midfielders competing for who can give the most calculated passes to the Madrid maestro.That brings us to another sore point which will ultimately decide Liverpool's rejuvenated attempt to fight for the Premiership crown - the winger debacle.

With a recognised finisher finally on the team sheet, the club's current wingers will be falling over themselves to get on the leading assists statistics. And other likely candidates will see the signing of Torres as a sign of intent, that Liverpool mean business, and may assure the influx of some of Rafa’s A-list targets to Anfield.

Another plus for Benitez and Co will be to take the momentum gained with the Torres arrival to show him his importance in the team, and Benitez is a master of getting the best out of his signings. It will also be a chance to silence the critics who insist Liverpool, for some reason, fail to bring in the big names. I hail from the latter crowd, and I must say that the value of Torres joining Liverpool cannot, under any circumstance, be under-estimated and taken as a fluke.

This is the plan that George Gillett and Tom Hicks have been talking about, saying Benitez has a plan of action, that all the wheels are connected now, and it's all systems go. The arrivals of stars from across the globe show that Benitez is not only thinking of present-day success. Torres, at only 23, has his best years ahead and although it may seem like he has been around forever, his peak seasons will be played in the red of Liverpool. So most definitely he is one for now and the foreseeable future. Two birds with one stone, and a feather in the cap for Benitez.

While the Premiership will most definitely be a lesser league without the beautiful football played by Arsenal, their walk-the-ball-into-the-net style without talisman Henry directing the traffic may be a no-walk area. But it is not all doom and gloom for the Gunners. They still have a shot at defying all the odds and proving everyone wrong, and with the signing of Eduardo Da Silva are showing real intent. It's all wait and see at the moment, so we’ll just have to, err . . . wait.

So it's au revoir Henry, and thanks for all the goals. The turn-flick-strike at Highbury against Manchester United will forever be remembered.