Arsenal legend Thierry Henry insists ‘a lot of things need to change’ if his former team are going to beat Liverpool to the Premier League title
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry does not believe his former team can win the Premier League this season without significant changes.
The Gunners have not been champions of England since 2003-04 when Henry and his fellow Invincibles went through the entire league campaign without losing.
But Arsenal have already lost two of their opening 16 Premier League games this season and have drawn a further six, including Saturday’s 0-0 stalemate at home to Everton.
That result left Mikel Arteta’s side third in the table – six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have played one game fewer.
Speaking on Sky Sports on Monday Night Football, Henry suggested that Arsenal are far too predictable compared to Liverpool.
The Frenchman also claimed that players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli need to improve their decision-making during games and that the Gunners must start scoring more from open play.
Arsenal icon Thierry Henry was a guest pundit on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football this week
Henry pictured analysing Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Fulham using a giant screen in the studio
Ex-Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher was also critical of Arsenal on Monday night as he said: ‘When you’re watching them they’re not passing the eye test in terms of looking creative.
‘You see that belief from Liverpool and you’re struggling when you’re watching Arsenal.’
Henry continued the conversation by replying: ‘They’re very predictable. It is outstanding to score from set-pieces. The last three goals in the league are from set-pieces.
‘When you see Liverpool going forward you see [Joe] Gomez, [Darwin] Nunez, [Diogo] Jota running. But with Saka you know he’s going to play to [Martin] Odegaard.’
Henry added that opposition teams have become well aware of Arsenal’s patterns of play and that this has made Arteta’s side easier to defend against.
He continued: ‘When you are in trouble at Arsenal the ball goes to Saka. Arsenal do create but it’s the choices they take.
‘Martinelli knows he can give three people tap-ins if he goes inside but he goes outside.
‘When you watch Arsenal you think the only way they look like scoring is a set-piece – we didn’t create a lot against Man United [when two goals from corners earned a 2-0 win].
‘There’s not a coaching problem. No-one jumps at Arsenal anymore but if you don’t have bodies in between the lines to create decoys it’s going to be difficult if you give your ball to the winger on the right or the left.
‘A lot of things need to change in order to win the Premier League. When I see Liverpool play it looks like they’re trying to win it and others look like they’re trying not to lose it.
‘If you’re going to win the league you need to grab it and win it. You have to find a solution.
‘In my team they helped on the other side (right). Everyone need to score and be important. Freddie [Ljungberg] used to make that run in between lines and score.
‘If you want to be champions, people adapt to what you do. What are you going to bring year on year?’
