Thierry Henry has stated that Mikel Arteta is doing ‘very well’ at Arsenal, but he wants to see improvements against the top sides, as he told Amazon Prime.
Even though Manchester United aren’t in the top four currently, Henry still thinks Thursday night’s visit to Old Trafford will be a test to see where Arsenal are really at and how much they are actually improving.
The Gunners have recently beaten the likes of Norwich, Burnley, Aston Villa, Leicester City and most recently Newcastle.
But along the way, Manchester City have thumped them, so have Chelsea and Liverpool recently walked all over them at Anfield.
Henry was critical of how Arsenal have performed during those matches and made it clear that he expected Arteta’s side to win their recent matches, so he seemingly doesn’t think it’s a big deal.
“The only thing it gave me is that we can beat Newcastle at home,” said Henry. “Playing once a week that we can beat Burnley, that we can beat Aston Villa, before Stevie G arrived, and we can beat Leicester with 27 per-cent possession.
“Very unlike Arsenal. I think, personally, winning against those teams, not having a go, with one game a week, I expect that from Arsenal. The improvement for me is that can you beat the teams at the top?
“You conceded 11, without scoring one. That’s the improvement I am waiting to see tomorrow at Old Trafford – every time they come up against a team they should lose against, not only do they lose, they get smashed.
“I am an Arsenal fan. I think Mikel Arteta is doing very well. But the improvement I want to see as an Arsenal man is ‘can you make the top four?’
“I know Man United aren’t in the top four, but still it’s something for me they can take, it would be a statement going their and winning. And winning well.”
Questions have been raised as to whether Arsenal are flat-track bullies because recent results suggest that they are.
But despite those question marks, they are sitting fifth in the Premier League table and they can move into the top four if they secure all three points against Manchester United tonight.
If Arteta’s side suffer another defeat here, and that a heavy one, then questions will be asked about the team’s real qualities.
But the only thing Arteta can do is move the club forward, keep putting points on the board and get the team into Europe.
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