Thierry Henry said Arsenal’s progress past Sporting CP was worth celebrating, but urged Mikel Arteta’s side to show far more “fire” at Manchester City if they are to stay in the Premier League title race.
Thierry Henry said Arsenal’s Champions League progress should be enjoyed, but made clear he wants to see a stronger response in the Premier League when Mikel Arteta’s side travel to Manchester City. Speaking on CBS Sports after Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Sporting CP, which sent them through to the semi-finals 1-0 on aggregate, Henry welcomed the result but quickly turned his attention to the title race.
“We are through. So happy. Semi-final, as you said, too. Very happy,” Henry said. “We never won it. I never won it, so I can’t really talk about all of that. So we are in the semi-final.” But the former Arsenal forward did not leave it there. “I want the league, though. Go and win at Man City. I want to see that fire there. That’s the fire I want to see.”
That was the central point of Henry’s reaction. He said he still believes in Arteta and in Arsenal’s ability to win the title, but argued that belief now has to be backed up in the biggest domestic game left on the schedule. “I believe, Mikel,” he said, before adding that the performance against Sporting could not be the template for what comes next. Asked how Arsenal should approach the match at the Etihad, Henry’s answer was blunt: “Not like tonight.”
Henry widened that criticism by referencing other recent displays as well. “Against Bournemouth or Brighton away or Mansfield or everything that I’ve seen this season, that performance wouldn’t be enough against Manchester City,” he said. He also pointed to City’s record under Pep Guardiola, describing them as “the team that won four in a row” and warning that Arsenal will need a far higher level if they are to go there and win.
Even so, Henry did not sound like someone who has given up on Arsenal’s chances. In one of his more striking lines, he said: “I do believe, I’ve been saying since the beginning of the season this year, I do believe we can win the league.” He framed the opportunity in even stronger terms, calling it “the biggest chance in your life” not simply to silence outside criticism, but “to prove to yourself as a team that we can”.
Henry’s message, then, was balanced but demanding. He was pleased Arsenal are through to the Champions League semi-finals, and he said so clearly. But the performance itself did not convince him, and his focus quickly shifted to what comes next. “I heard fire,” he said. “I want to see that fire at the Etihad.” For Arsenal, that is now the challenge Henry believes will define whether this week becomes merely a good one or a potentially decisive one.