What Arsenal have to live with now is the nagging disappointment that had it been 11 against 11, they might just have been good enough to have come away with a victory. I have no doubt that in the end, Barcelona deserved to win, but if Arsenal had hung on at 1-0, it would've been one of the most heroic displays in the history of the Champions League.

So, to what proved to be the key moment. Initially, Barcelona's ploy of hitting long diagonal balls to Samuel Eto'o and Ludovic Giuly, and of creating width, was giving Ashley Cole and Emmanuel Eboue some problems, but at that stage, I didn't think that Ronaldinho's less familiar role in the centre of the pitch was working that well.

Then he got on the ball in exactly the sort of situation Frank Rijkaard would've wanted, and his pass to Eto'o opened up the Arsenal defence. Now you might think that Jens Lehmann was stupid to foul Eto'o, but in those circumstances, it's almost instinctive to do what he did, and once the referee chose not to play the advantage, a red card was the only option.

But even given the pressure of a final, it was inexplicable that he failed to let play carry on. The most appropriate reaction would've been to have allowed Giuly's goal to stand and to have booked Lehmann. At that moment, Barcelona would've wanted the goal more than anything else.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that the decision ruined the game, but what had been developing into a classic contest between the two best teams in the competition was seriously compromised.

When Ronaldinho missed the subsequent free kick, and when Sol Campbell scored, you might have been thinking from a cynical perspective that Lehmann had done the right thing, and that Arsenal had gotten away with it, but immediately after the sending off, I felt Barcelona had a major advantage.

The script was torn up, and I would actually have preferred if Alexander Hleb had been taken off instead of Robert Pires, but I presume that Arsene Wenger opted for the younger player, and anyway, unlike Rijkaard later in the game, Wenger didn't really have a hand to play.

No one can say definitively that it would've been better for Arsenal to have been 1-0 down with Lehmann still on the pitch. However, reflecting on the chances they created after losing Lehmann, you would've thought that if the Giuly goal had stood, Arsenal would've had every chance of getting back into the game.

As it was, Thierry Henry had a great opportunity to win the cup in the second half, and I'm sure he'll find it hard to forget that moment. He set himself up brilliantly, but maybe he should've gone for power rather than placement.

Sometimes when a team goes a goal down against 10 men, they lose the plot, and after Campbell's header I was hoping that Barcelona would panic. But they never resorted to long balls, never lost their shape and with their patience and their passing, they eventually ran the legs off Arsenal.

Rijkaard's substitutions were excellent. Andres Iniesta made a difference immediately, and with Oleguer struggling against Freddie Ljungberg as well as having just been booked, the decision to bring Juliano Belletti on was as obvious as it was inspired.

However, Henrik Larsson, with his intelligence and his vision, proved to be the trump card.

There were a few defensive lapses as Arsenal tired, but I don't think anyone should be overly critical for either of Barcelona's goals.

Eboue was caught out when Eto'o scored, but the finish was first rate. It seemed that Manuel Almunia had left the near post open, but Eto'o cleverly eyed up the far post just enough for the keeper to shift his balance, and he then put it away superbly. Almunia was a bit unlucky for the second as the pitch was much wetter at that stage, and the ball skidded off the turf.

If Henry had decided to leave, there would have been legitimate doubts over whether Arsenal could continue to compete in the medium term with the very best in Europe, but now that he has committed himself to the club, there are likely to be more opportunities to make up for the disappointment of last Wednesday.

The team has been in transition with players like Cesc Fabregas, Jose Reyes, Philippe Senderos, Hleb and Eboue emerging, and it goes without saying that it's a massive boost to the club that Henry will be staying to lead the side to even greater things. I just hope that Cole, who was outstanding in Paris and who like Henry is someone with leadership qualities, can also be persuaded to stay.

In the aftermath of the final, it seemed as if defeat might bring about the breakup of a team, but instead it has galvanised the players into believing what is possible. Arsenal now have a new team which is good enough to win the Champions League and to challenge Chelsea.