An exciting 3-0 win against Manchester United was brilliant on Sunday, but there’s a lot of work to be done.
The Gunners beat Leicester City the week before but the problem remains with breaking teams down. We’ve enjoyed two consecutive wins in the Premier League but both against sides who will come out and attack us, leaving spaces to exploit.
But rather than analyse the current situation, Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry leapt to an extreme as most on television choose to do.
“Arsenal must win the league this year. They must win it,” Henry said straight after the game. Apparently he’s completely forgotten than Manchester City have the best striker in the league and added £126m worth of talent to a squad that was already very strong. To be so definitive is way over the top, but he continued.
“I don’t know if they will get a better chance than this season. They have to win it this year, they must.”
It’s hard to argue the idea that Manchester United and Chelsea will continue to underachieve in seasons to come, but to say Arsenal have to win the league this year is total nonsense.
“It looks like it’s going be a hell of a task for Arsenal to go through in the Champions League,” Henry added.
“The worst thing ever would be for them to play in the Europa League. Then they will really be in trouble playing that Thursday night game.
“We all know what can happen when you play that Thursday night game. It’s not an easy one, you come back late Friday and have to play on Sunday or Monday.”
So we must win the league, but finishing third in our Champions League group – which he admitted looks likely – would be awful for our chances of winning the league?
There you have it then, Arsenal MUST win the league (though I’m not entirely sure it was explained why we absolutely have to and I find it disrespectful to Manchester City) and in order to so should lose all their Champions League games on purpose to avoid playing in the Europa League.
You heard it from Thierry Henry, Arsenal legend, first.