Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has increased the pressure on Mikel Arteta by admitting it is “normal” to be concerned about his five-year drought without a title or a final appearance. And the Gunners’ all-time leading scorer can’t understand why Arteta bought former England winger Raheem Sterling on loan in August, when “everyone has been screaming” for a No.9 centre-forward.
Arsenal finished second in the Premier League for the third consecutive season, this time 10 points behind champions Liverpool after coming close to Manchester City the previous two years. Arteta’s Champions League run, which included spectacular home and away victories over Real Madrid, reached the semi-finals before being terminated by Paris Saint-Germain.
However, World Cup winner Henry, who scored 228 goals for Arsenal, believes it is insufficient after five years without adding to the FA Cup Arteta won behind closed doors in 2020, his first year as manager. The French legend, speaking on Sky Bet’s insightful Stick to Football podcast, said: “I realize that at the very beginning [for Mikel Arteta], you arrive and it’s not your team.
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“You’ll need at least three or four transfer periods to make all of your changes. It takes time, and you must provide a management enough time to implement his plans.
“Now, for the last three years, Arsenal has been in a position where they should have won at least one cup or reached a final.
” Manchester United has played in five finals in the last five years, the United that everyone mocks, whilst Arsenal has not reached a final in the last three years of development. So I understand when people say, ‘Surely you should compete for a trophy?’
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