Thierry Henry 'Ripped Arsenal and Arteta to Pieces' Before They Beat PSV 7-1

Thierry Henry delivered a sobering assessment of Arsenal’s recent difficulties and questioned why Mikel Arteta’s team keeps getting hurt at pivotal moments. His remarks were made prior to the Gunners’ 7-1 UEFA Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven.

Throughout the season, Arteta’s team, especially his frontline, has been beset by ongoing injury setbacks. With one of the seven goals in their Champions League triumph over PSV at Philips Stadion, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri became the team’s youngest-ever starter. If Kai Haverz, Gabriel Martinelli, or Bukayo Saka had been available and healthy, he might not have started.

With pressure mounting on Arteta after a 1-0 loss to West Ham United and a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, it was a much-needed and eye-catching victory. Due to those results, his team is now 13 points behind Liverpool, the clear leaders, and their only chance of winning a trophy will probably be if they win in Europe.

Thierry Henry: I’m Concerned About Arsenal
The Frenchman criticised the Gunners’ lack of progress.

For the previous two seasons, Manchester City’s main competitors in the race for the Premier League were Arsenal. After missing out by two points in the 2023–24 season, many thought the Gunners would finally win the championship after the Cityzens’ dramatic decline this season.

When Martin Odegaard sustained an ankle injury in September and was out until November, the season’s strong start took a nosedive. After that, Saka suffered a hamstring injury in December. Martinelli, Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus (ACL) all since suffered season-ending injuries.

However, Henry believes Arsenal isn’t playing with the same intent as they have in the past, especially when it comes to creating opportunities. He said to Golazo of CBS Sports:

“This is the same team, even if we are aware that Havertz is currently out and that Odegaard sustained an injury early in the season. So why do you no longer create? Indeed, you score goals on set pieces, but all of a sudden you stop scoring goals.

Saka’s absence was minimised by Henry, who also maintained that the squad wasn’t “creating” with the English winger on the field. He mentioned Arteta’s possible change in approach, which would focus more on set pieces:

“Set pieces are fantastic; they save us in many games. As a fan, I’m concerned because we’re not producing as much as we once did. When we almost won the league the first year, we shocked the other teams, and they realised what you were all about. We lost our identity as a playing group along the way.

Whether the injured players were on the team or not, Henry was sure that they weren’t producing enough. When Micah Richards asked him what the answer was, he replied:

“Ask Arteta.”

Thierry Henry says it's "worrying" to see Arsenal not create as many chances in recent games and asks "how come, all the time, in crucial moments, we've been having players that are injured." 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/8P5v9Qs6hc

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 4, 2025

In their 27 Premier League games, Arsenal has won 15, lost three, and been eliminated in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in the third round. As they go to the quarterfinals, Arteta’s team’s 7-1 thumping of PSV has eased some of the mounting strain.

This season, Arsenal is in the Premier League.

Games

Gains

15.

Draws

Losses

Scored Goals

Objectives Given Up

Large Odds Every Game

3.1

Large Chances Lost in Each Game

1.9

Thierry Henry Regarding the Overuse of Bukayo Saka
“Why Is Salah Not Pulling His Hamstring?”

Saka scored five goals and provided ten assists in 16 Premier League games prior to his hamstring injury in December. He was the driving force behind the Gunners’ attempt to win the championship after a 21-year wait.

In addition to being Liverpool’s lucky charm, Mohamed Salah is likely the clear favourite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. The Egyptian, who has scored 25 goals and provided 17 assists in 28 league appearances, has not had any significant injury problems.

Henry reacted as follows when Micah Richards stated that Saka’s significance was comparable to Salah’s at Liverpool:

“What keeps Salah from tearing his hamstring? Does he not engage in the same quantity of gaming? In order to win the league as a coach, you strive to determine who is in danger and what steps can be taken to prevent injuries during meetings.

Henry is curious as to why Arsenal is experiencing injury setbacks at key times:

“Winning the league isn’t only off the ball, on the ball, in transition, defending, you need to have everybody there fit to be able to play.”

Before suffering his hamstring injury, Saka had missed just five Premier League games in the previous three years, raising concerns that the 43-cap England international had been overused. Following a demanding 2024–24 league season in which he missed three league games, he was a constant presence for the Three Lions at Euro 2024.