Thierry Henry is unimpressed by Arsenal’s record against the top English clubs and wants them to beat Manchester United to confirm they have turned the corner.
The Gunners have been in fine form in this campaign, but they have a wretched record against the top clubs in England.
They have lost to Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in this campaign, suggesting they struggle against top opposition.
Their next match is against United and it is a game they absolutely have to win to show their seriousness in getting back inside the top four.
The Red Devils have returned to form after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick would be keen to win his last match in charge as the caretaker boss.
Henry wants Arsenal to win the game before he agrees they are no longer a struggling team.
‘It showed we can beat Newcastle at home. We can beat Burnley, we can beat Aston Villa before Steven Gerrard arrived. We can beat Leicester with 27 per cent possession,’ Henry said on Amazon Prime as quoted by The Daily Mail.
‘I think personally winning against those teams – and I’m not having a go – but I expect it from Arsenal when they play one game a week.
‘Now the improvement is can you beat the teams at the top? That’s the improvement I want to see and am waiting to see tomorrow at Old Trafford.
‘Every time they play a team they should lose against they not only lose but they get smashed. The improvement I want to see is can they get top four?
‘I’m an Arsenal fan and I think Mikel Arteta is doing well, but I want to see that improvement.
‘Manchester United are not in the top-four but it can be a statement to go there and win and win well.
‘We’re talking about Arsenal. I’m not over the moon by a Newcastle win, I want to see them win at Old Trafford tomorrow.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Although most of the Premier League points are with the smaller clubs, it is always best to beat your main competitors if you want to win titles.
Arsenal has struggled in doing that this season and it truly has to change starting with tonight’s game.
The Gunners remain one of the hardest teams to beat and they are unbeaten against United in the last five head-to-head matches.
It will be interesting to see how they perform this evening and if they really have progressed.
Thierry is right, Let’s beat a top team then we can acknowledge the progress.
Yes, before we are able to beat some of the top teams, we haven’t really achieved anything.
“I am not having a go”… Yes Terry you are, and this is not the first time… Henry, as much as I adore him as a player, clearly has an agenda. He has teamed with Daniel Ek to get a managerial position with Arsenal. But the only way to get Kroenke out now is for Arsenal to do really really badly. Arsenal are doing well, they are a young team which is clearly progressing, and they need time. Not constant reminders that they were thrashed by Liverpool and ManCity, and certainly not additional pressure before the ManU game. And that is exactly what Henry is doing, he clearly doesn’t like seeing Arteta doing so well. A genius footballer, a lousy pundit, a managerial flop and not a very clever man, alas. He always tries to dig at Arteta and belittle Arsenal these days, now he chose to stress 27% possession against Leicesters and not to mention our trashing of Spurs, why? That’s what I would expect to hear from Graeme Souness, not Henry. It’s a sad picture really.
They all say this now but Even if arsenal beat man u, they will still change mouth and say….. ‘ We beat them bcos man u hasn’t been in form, or its Cos they dont have manager at the moment or bcos ronaldo didn’t play well.’ Then they say until we beat the top three we haven’t improved. Even if we are beating the top 3 they will say…. Until we learn to beat the smaller teams and take point from them we haven’t improved. Am tired