Thierry Henry, Arsenal legend and one of the Premier League’s all-time greats, isn’t fully convinced by the progress his former club has made under Mikel Arteta.
Despite Arsenal finishing high in the Premier League and showing improvement in style and consistency, Henry believes the lack of trophies is becoming a concern.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Henry gave a frank assessment of Arteta’s reign so far. He acknowledged that time is needed for a manager to shape a squad, especially when inheriting a team that’s not truly theirs. Still, he pointed out that it’s been long enough to expect at least one final or a cup win.
Henry said, “I’m not saying that I’m disappointed with Arsenal, but it’s normal that people are raising questions now about what the team is doing.” He continued, “You need at the very least three or four transfer windows to change everything that you want to. For the last three years Arsenal have been in a situation where they should have at least brought one cup or reached a final.”
The Gunners haven’t lifted silverware since winning the FA Cup in 2020, and while fans have praised Arteta for developing a young squad and building a solid team identity, Henry pointed out the lack of tangible results.
Thierry Henry compared Arsenal to Manchester United, who have had their share of struggles in the league but still managed to play in five finals in the past five years. “Manchester United have played in five finals in the last five years, the United that everyone laughs at, whereas for Arsenal in the last three years of building, they’ve not reached a final,” Henry said.
This season, Arsenal’s push for the title was once again affected by their failure to convert chances consistently. Henry highlighted the absence of a proper centre-forward as a key issue. “Everyone has been screaming for a nine,” he said. “When we beat Real Madrid, we didn’t need a nine. No, you do need a nine.”
Henry questioned why Arteta didn’t address the striker issue more decisively in the transfer market. “He had time to get a nine,” Henry stated. “I’m not the coach, I don’t know the discussions, but it was clear that was the missing piece.”
It’s a viewpoint many fans share, Arsenal’s progress is undeniable, but in elite football, progress without trophies only goes so far. As Arteta prepares for another season, pressure will only build if silverware continues to elude him.
Henry isn’t calling for drastic changes, but he’s echoing the sentiment of a growing number of supporters: improvement is good, but trophies are what define great teams.
