Premier League title challengers Arsenal managed to secure a place in the Champions League semi-finals with a narrow win over Sporting Lisbon, but Thierry Henry has concerns.
Thierry Henry gives his thoughts on Arsenal’s form (Image: CBS Sports/X)
Manager Thierry Henry laughed off suggestions that Arsenal could beat Manchester City with their current performance. The Gunners travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the Premier League title decider.
If Mikel Arteta’s side win, they could extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points. However, Arsenal have only won one of their last five games in all competitions, and their performance has stagnated, so they will be heading into the match against Manchester in a somewhat sluggish state.
Arsenal icon Henry still believes they can eventually win the Premier League, but wants his team to improve. “I believe what he (Arteta) says. I believe. I believe what I see. I believe in flames, but if you say something like that, you have to do it then. But it didn’t look like that tonight. Coach Arteta didn’t think so.”
“We got through the semi-finals, I’m very happy. We’ve never won and I’ve never won so I can’t talk about all that, but we won the league. Go to Man City and win. I want to see that flame there. That’s the flame I want to see. Mikel, I think so. But go and show us.”
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When asked if the same performance against Sporting would be enough against City, Henry said: “It’s different to tonight’s game, to Bournemouth, to Brighton, away, to Mansfield or any game I’ve seen this season.
“I saw Man City recently (lol). We’re talking about a team that won four games in a row. Liverpool were somewhere in between, otherwise they would have won more.”
“Again, I believe. I’ve said since the beginning of the season that I believe we can win the league this year. This is the biggest opportunity of our lives to not only shut someone out, but to prove that we can do it as a team.”
Arsenal beat Sporting Lisbon to advance to the Champions League semi-finals (Image: Getty Images)
“That way people won’t talk about words that I don’t want to use. I personally believe that. But I’m sitting here doing my job for CBS. There’s nothing I can do. I just heard the fire. I want to see that fire at Etihad Airways.”
In a bid to find a route past Sporting Lisbon, Arsenal have booked a Champions League semi-final against Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. The first leg of that clash is scheduled to take place at the Metropolitano in just two weeks’ time.
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