Arsenal legend Thierry Henry doesn’t seem to be impressed with the club’s start to the new campaign and the former striker remains unsure if things are going in the right direction under Mikel Arteta.
The north Londoners endured a dreadful start to the season, losing all of their opening three league games and failing to score a single goal in the process. But, they’ve been a much-improved side since then, having secured ten points from the next four league games.
The fine run of games included a dominant display against arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur. However, they had to struggle to clinch a point against Brighton in the following week. The goalless draw saw them slip into the bottom half of the league table as they currently sit in 11th place, just behind Tottenham.
Henry thinks the old frailties were creeping back into the team in their lackluster performance against the Seagulls. Despite the team’s recent form, he has cast doubts over Arteta-led Arsenal. Speaking at the Prime Video Presents Sport 2021 showcase event, the 44-year-old said(via Evening Standard) :
“I don’t know if things are going in the right direction. I watched the Brighton game. Did you watch it?. I’ve seen us beating Norwich before, winning at Burnley, beating Tottenham at home – because we always beat Tottenham at home.”
“I was more than happy when we beat Tottenham as we were on a good run but I was waiting to see a performance, away from home, against a team that passes the ball. And, instead, we suffered.”
“I was waiting to see the Brighton game, to see if we could have the ball and keep the ball, away from home, retaining possession, against a dangerous Brighton side. But I didn’t see that from Arsenal in the Brighton match. I saw Brighton do that.”
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The Gunners did have an abysmal start to the campaign, but we should bear in mind that Arteta missed some crucial players due to illness and injuries during the opening weeks. They quickly got back to winning ways once these players returned to the starting lineup.
The rebuild process was always going to be tough and long. The club was in complete disarray when the Spaniard took over. The squad overhaul seems to be complete now, and this summer transfer window has been a clear indicator of it.
Arteta has been at the helm for more than 20 months now. Some fans are growing frustrated over the team’s lack of consistency. It is high time the Gunners start delivering results on the pitch. Only time will tell if the Spaniard is the right man for the job, however, he does seem to have the backing of the club’s hierarchy at the moment.
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